The Delhi High Court on 2nd February (Wednesday) issued notice to the Central government in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking prohibition on the slaughter of old bulls and buffaloes. In Brishbhan Verma v. Union of India and Ors, The bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Centre, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on 15th of March 2022.
Petition filed by petitioner Brishbhan Verma represented through Prashant Shukla, the petition submitted that the prohibition on slaughter cows must be extended to bulls and bullocks as these animals continue to provide dung and urine that can be used by the farmers as fertilisers. This is even if they cannot be used in agricultural work and breeding after a certain age.
As the plea further sought direction from the centre for a "total prohibition" on the slaughter of cows and their progeny which includes old-useless bulls, bullocks and buffaloes.
The plea said that the existing cow slaughter ban discriminates between male and female animals. If there is a prohibition on slaughter of any person, then male and female should be prohibited, equal treatment for both male and female animals should be applied. But the order is clearly about the slaughter of 'old-useless bulls, bullocks and old buffaloes, the plea said.
