Uttar Pradesh’s law against cow slaughter does not prohibit transportation of beef, the Allahabad High Court has said.
Responding to a petition filed by a Muslim youth, Vaseem Ahmad, Justice Pankaj Bhatia on Monday issued an order ruling that the state law against cow slaughter does not place a ban on beef transportation.
Ahmad, the petitioner was booked under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 along with three others for allegedly transporting beef in 2021. The charges pressed against him were on the ground that he owned one of the motorcycles that were used by the accused others.
As the trial began, the motorcycle was soon confiscated following the order of district magistrate in Fatehpur. Ahmad approached the higher court to revoke the order and release his vehicle as the case proceeded.
In the order which was made public on Thursday, Justice Bhatia said that the law does not prohibit people from transporting beef from one place to another in the state.
“The restrictions on transportation in terms of the Act and the Rules framed thereunder is only applicable in respect of transportation of cow, bull or bullock that too in any place in Uttar Pradesh from any place outside the state,” the judge said. “In the entire Act or the rules, there exists no provision barring transportation of beef.”
According to Justice Bhatia, the Section 5A of the Act only prohibits cows, bulls or bullocks from being transported from outside Uttar Pradesh into the state.
“There is no bar or restriction of transport of beef even from any place outside the State to any place inside the State,” he said. “In the present case, the allegation being alleged [of] transportation of beef on a vehicle [motorcycle] within two places in the state is neither prohibited nor even regulated.”
The High Court directed Ahmed’s motorcycle to be released after he furnished a bond of Rs 5,000.
