God won’t save us, forgive us: Gujarat HC’s sharp remarks on butchered cows in Nadiad

Justice Shastri termed the incident as “shocking, very shocking”. “…We feel, under the guise of regulating and implementing policy, these innocent animals cannot be sacrificed…if this is happening, even God will not save all of us, forgive us. This can’t be, these innocent animals cannot be done away like this…Not a single innocent animal is to be sacrificed on account of public comfort. It is an urgent situation that has erupted,” Justice Shastri remarked.

Photographs of the butchered animals left to rot in the open, along with related media reports, were attached to the affidavit submitted by the petitioner. Local media reports from Nadiad on December 2 highlighted the “sudden deaths of 30 cows”. Social worker Shrimali made inquiries, according to the reports, and was “totally shocked to notice butchered cows in the open parcel of land which probably belongs to Nadiad nagarpalika .” The reports stated that following the High Court directions on impounding stray cattle to control cattle menace, the municipality had seized 132 cattle of which around 88-90 remain.

As the High Court took up the matter on Tuesday, Justice Shastri also asked Advocate General Kamal Trivedi to instruct the Kheda District Collector to examine the issue and submit a report on the matter. The court has now also sought details on the number of cattle pounds in the state, their capacity, and conditions. Assuring action, the Advocate General informed the court that such acts of animal brutality are “at the behest of some miscreants” and that the authorities will find out “who the miscreants are”. The court has kept the matter next for Wednesday when the authorities are expected to furnish details on cattle pounds’ conditions and action taken concerning the Nadiad incident. Meanwhile, in an affidavit submitted to the High Court by Ashwini Kumar, principal secretary of the urban development department, it was submitted that while 193 FIRs were registered in the eight municipal corporations in the state related to stray cattle, only two FIRs were registered across 157 municipalities. According to the Nadiad municipality, a new cattle pound has been constructed in the municipality limits with a capacity to accommodate 250-300 cattle.

The Nadiad cattle impoundment team impounded 89 cattle between November 4 and 8 which were kept at the new cattle pound. To assist in providing care and fodder to the cows impounded at the new facility, as per the municipality, “Hindu Dharma Sena and Manav Seva Parivar Trust” are ready to assist the municipality.