'Look Into Cow Slaughter Cases Across State Seriously': Allahabad High Court Directs UP Govt

The Allahabad High Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to look into the Cow Slaughter cases registered within the state seriously. This implies a call to the state police to thoroughly investigate and give serious attention to such cases involving the killing of cows across the state.

The Court directed so while expressing its displeasure with a personal affidavit filed on behalf of Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, as directed by the Court earlier, as the Single Judge noted that it was not satisfied with the efforts made by the police authorities in cow slaughter cases.

As the Court expressed its dissatisfaction with the affidavit of the CP, Prayagaj, the Additional Advocate General sought two weeks further time to file a better affidavit and he was granted time till December 18 to file the same.

However, looking at the seriousness of the cow slaughtering cases in the State, the Court directed the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj as well as the State to look into the matter of Cow Slaughter seriously registered at different police stations of the State and to also submit a progress report to the effect as to how many cases have been registered at different police stations of Commissionerate of District Prayagraj and in how many cases the investigation is going on and in how many cases charge sheet has been submitted and final report has been filed.

The report has been directed to be filed positively by the next date. 

These observations were made by a bench of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav while hearing an anticipatory bail plea filed by one Saif Ali Khan who was allegedly found with 1.5 quintals of cow flesh in the year 2019 and was booked under Sections 3, 5 and 8 of the 1955 Act.

On the last day of the hearing in the case, the Allahabad High Court had expressed its strong displeasure over the State Police's laxity in investigating the FIRs registered under the U.P. Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.

The Court also observed that despite a state-wide ban on cow slaughter, such cases are increasing and whenever an FIR is lodged in such cases, the UP Police adopts a flexible attitude about it.

Case title - Saif Ali Khan vs. State of U.P. [CRIMINAL MISC ANTICIPATORY BAIL APPLICATION U/S 438 CR.P.C. No. - 11831 of 2023]

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (AB) 469

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