The Government has issued an advisory to the states/UTs on untoward incidents in the country on cattle in the disturbance of law and order by miscreants in the name of protection of Cow. The Advisory states that
- Directive Principles of State Policy provide for the preservation of cows under Article 48 of the Constitution of India. Entry 15 of the State list of the 7th Schedule allocates the work of “Preservation, protection and improvement of stock and prevention of animal diseases; veterinary training and practice.” Consequently laws pertaining to cow preservation or prohibition of slaughter vary from State to State.
- However, that does not entitle any individual or group of persons to take action on their own to prevent the alleged slaughter or punish the alleged wrong doers. Section 39 of the CrPC requires that any person aware of the commission of certain offences or intention thereof, is required to give information to the nearest Magistrate or police officer of such commission or intention. Therefore, if an offence is committed, or about to be committed, such an offence, or possibility of offence is required to be brought to the notice of the concerned police authorities or magistrate for appropriate action as per law. No person can. under any circumstances take the law into their own hands. Any person, or persons, doing so have to be dealt with strictly under the relevant laws, and brought to justice in the quickest possible fashion, for the strictest punishment.
- Recently some incidents have been reported where certain persons or groups have taken law into their own hands in the name of protecting cows and have committed crimes in pursuance thereof. This is not an acceptable situation.
- The States are, therefore, enjoined upon, and expected, to ensure that any person who takes law into his/her own hands is dealt with promptly, and punished as per law. There should be no tolerance at all for such persons and full majesty of law must come to bear on them, without exception.
Press Information Bureau
