‘Cattle’ train detained for days
From Vijendra Ahlawat
FARIDABAD, Dec 16 — The detention of the ‘Cattle special’ train of the Railways here for more than four days has led to the erruption of a major controversy over the role of some organisations claiming to be involved in safeguarding the welfare and interests of animals.
While it caused undue harassment to both the local administration and the Railways, the unfortunate episode has taken the life of at least seven head of cattle, including five calves. About 288 cows unloaded from the train are still awaiting to be reloaded to reach their destination.
The special train carrying 634 high-breed milching cows, had been booked from Kila Raipur in Punjab for Howrah, near Calcutta, was intercepted and stopped near the old Faridabad railway station on the directions of a Union Minister. The minister and activists of some organisations who halted the train reportedly claimed that the cows were allegedly being taken for slaughter and so it must be stopped here for a probe.
As soon as the train halted the district authorities rushed to the site with a team of veterinary doctors on December 10. According to the check-up report submitted to the authorities, it was found that all cows were healthy and were of good breed and had been booked by a party for sale to another party at the Howrah station. It is reported that no intention of slaughtering them was detected as alleged by the organisations, including the people for Animals (PFA), Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The loading of the cows was also found in proper condition. Although the district administration allowed the train to move ahead on the same day but due to some technical reasons it could not do so. Meanwhile about 300 activists of the afforesaid organisations assembled on the spot, demanding that the train should not be allowed to move, reiterating their allegation.
Although the local authorities again allowed the train to move in the morning of December 11, the Railway Police demanded deploying of adequate police force to check any problem of law and order. The Railway Police also registered a case against some of the animal keepers travelling in the train for possessing some Oxytocin injections, whose use for milking purpose of the cattle is banned under the Act of Prevention of Cruelity to Animals.
Meanwhile, on a petition moved by the PFA, the civil court here stayed the movement of the train and directed the authorities to unload the cows and put them in ‘Goshalas’ here. This put an unusual burden on the district authorities, who have to make all arrangements itself as no organisation claiming to be animal lover, came forward to look after the cows. The SDM, Mr Jitender Dahiya said the administration not only provided medical facilities round the clock, but also supplied about 52 bags of feed, five trolleys of fodder, arrangement for light in the train and 50 trucks to unload the cows.
While 22 bogies containing 346 cows have moved to Delhi for its destination after the order of the District and Sessions court here, the fate of 288 cows still remains uncertain.
The Railways which has suffered a huge financial loss on the account is contemplating to file a suit for damages.-http://courtnic.nic.in/dhcorder/dhcqrydisp_O.asp?pn=49214&yr=2006
http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/haryana/4_6_5191007.html
लगभग सवा वर्ष पूर्व मेवात के 20 लोगों द्वारा हरियाणा से उतर प्रदेश ले जाए जा रहे 66 बैलों को अब आरोपी पक्ष द्वारा स्थानीय अदालत में पेश करने होंगे। जिला एवं सत्र न्यायाधीश वी.पी. बिश्रनेई की अदालत ने निचली अदालत के बैलों की सुपरदारी के फैसले को निरस्त करते हुए निचली अदालत को आदेश दिए है कि बैलों को कोर्ट में पेश कराए, लेकिन इसके लिए 2 फरवरी को कोर्ट में बैलों को पेश करने के संबंध में तारीख निर्धारित होगी। यह आदेश पीएफए प्रदेशाध्यक्ष नरेश कादियान द्वारा दायर की गई अपील पर जिला एवं सत्र न्यायाधीश वी. पी. बिश्रनेई की अदालत द्वारा दिए गए है। पीएफए प्रदेशाध्यक्ष नरेश कादियान, स्वामी ओमस्वरूप व महेन्द्र सिंह टोकस ने संयुक्त रूप से बेरी के पास मेवात के एक धर्म विशेष के 20 लोगों के कब्जे से 66 बैल पकड़कर पुलिस के हवाले किए थे और 20 लोगों के खिलाफ पुलिस में गौकसी के लिए बैलों को उत्तरप्रदेश ले जाने के संबंध में 8 नवम्बर 2007 को मामला दर्ज कराया गया था। बैल हरियाणा के बरवाला से उत्तर प्रदेश ले जाए जा रहे थे। आरोपी पक्ष बैलों के मामले में एसीजेएम की शरण में गया था। एसीजेएम के आदेश पर 12 बैलों की सुपरदारी 15 नवम्बर 2007 को व 43 बैलों की सुपरदारी 16 नवम्बर 2007 को हुई थी। बैलों की सुपरदारी के खिलाफ पीएफए अध्यक्ष नरेश काद्यान की ओर से उनके अधिवक्ता आनंद सिंह कादियान ने सैशन कोर्ट में अपील दायर की थी। जिस पर जिला एवं सत्र न्यायधीश श्री वी. पी. बिश्रनेई ने अधिवक्ता आनंद कादिंयान द्वारा वर्ष 2002 के एक सुप्रीम कोर्ट के फैसले को आधार माना। अधिवक्ता आनंद कादियान ने बताया कि अदालत के फैसले के मुताबिक बैल सुपरदारी पर छोड़े जाने की बजाय संस्थाओं के हवाले किए जाने चाहिए थे। अधिवक्ता ने बताया कि आरोपी पक्ष द्वारा यह हवाला दिया गया था कि बैल कृषि कार्यो के लिए ले जाए जा रहे थे लेकिन जिस समय बैल पकड़े गए उस समय डॉक्टरों की एक 5 सदस्यीय कमेटी ने बैलों के स्वास्थ्य की जांच की थी जो खेती कार्यो के काबिल नहीं पाए गए थे। उन्होंने बताया कि आरोपियों के पास न तो ट्रांसपोर्ट लाइसेंस था और न ही स्वास्थ्य संबंधी प्रमाण पत्र मिला।
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Slaughterhouses continue to thrive
Faridabad: The Haryana Government, which is in the dock over the lynching of five Dalits in Jhajjar district, recently ordered a probe by a senior IAS officer into the incident. Though the inquiry is welcome, it is unlikely to go into the crux of the problem: the existence of slaughter houses in Faridabad and Gurgaon districts.
The two southern districts of the state have the dubious distinction of recording the largest number of cow slaughters in a year and the issue has been highlighted on various occasions in the past.
The smuggling of cattle thrives in these districts; hardly a week passes when the police do not catch persons engaged in smuggling of cattle.
Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks, four-wheelers and motorcycles, which were being used to ferry the cattle, have been seized in the last two or three years in the district and several persons have been booked on the charge of cruelty to animals or under the Cow Slaughter Act. There are a few villages here, especially in the Mewat region, which are ‘infamous’ for cow slaughter. Various organisations, including those engaged in `Gao-raksha’ (cow safety), keep scouring the area for cow hide smugglers.
Several meetings and panchyats have been held in the district for taking measures to stop cow slaughter in the area. Two years ago a train loaded with cows and calves had been stopped at the old Faridabad railway station by Bajrang Dal and VHP activists. It was alleged that the train was ferrying cattle to the slaughter houses in West Bengal.
While some of the cows had perished en route, the train was allowed to proceed to its destination. While it is still to be established that the accused were hide traders and not slaughterers, it is a matter of fact that the policemen tend to extort money from people who are engaged in any kind of ‘shady’ business. Even if one makes an allowance for high-handedness on the part of the police, possibly with the intention to extort money, the incidents have lifted the lid off clandestine activities in the region, says Raj Kumar Gaur, a social activist. He says that often the seizures are stage-managed. The smuggling of illicit liquor and cow hides is a thriving racket in the area, often in connivance with the police
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