The Allahabad High Court has expressed concern that the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 was being misused against innocent persons.
"Whenever any meat is recovered, it is normally shown as cow meat (beef) without getting it examined or analyzed by the Forensic Laboratory. In most of the cases, meat is not sent for analysis. Accused persons continue in jail for an offence that may not have been committed at all and which is triable by Magistrate Ist Class, having maximum sentence upto 7 years", the Court said.
These observations came about when the Court was hearing a bail application filed by Rahmu @ Rahmuddin seeking bail in an FIR under Section 3/5/8 U.P. Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 at Police Station-Thana Bhawan, District- Shamli.
Justice Siddharth granted bail to the accused person on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each of the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned.
"Whenever cows are shown to be recovered, no proper recovery memo is prepared and one does not know where cows go after recovery. Goshalas do not accept the non-milching cows or old cows and they are left to wander on the roads", the judge observed.
"Whether cows are on roads or on fields, their abandonment adversely affects society in a big way. Some way out has to be found to keep them either in cow shelters or with the owners if the U.P. Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act is to be implemented in letter and spirit," the judge added.
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