New Delhi: The Allahabad high court has slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for the “misuse” of anti-cow slaughter law while granting anticipatory bail to an accused booked under several provisions of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.
Justice Mohd. Faiz Alam Khan said the investigating authorities did not conduct a fair probe, adding that the first information report (FIR) in the case was merely based on “apprehension and suspicion”. He also said a charge sheet was filed even after the police could not recover any prohibited animal or its flesh from the spot, but only cow dung and a rope, Livelaw.in reported.
“The duty of State is to ensure fair investigation which in the considered opinion of this Court has not been done in the instant case,” the court said, ordering the state police chief to take appropriate action against investigation officers.
The court was hearing a plea for anticipatory bail moved by one of the accused in the case, Nizamuddin. He was booked under Sections 3,5, and 8 of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.
It is the prosecution’s case that on August 16, 2022, four accused in the case slaughtered a calf in a sugarcane field owned by Jamal, one of the accused. Police said the first informant who reached the spot had found “a cord and semi-digested gobar (dow dung)”. The FIR also noted that some of the villagers had seen the accused taking a calf to the field…
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