Allahabad HC asks Centre to take steps to ban cow slaughter

The Allahabad high court said it also hopes that the central government may take appropriate decision to declare cow as a ‘protected national animal’

A Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has asked the Centre to take steps to ban cow slaughter and declare it a “protected national animal”.

The Allahabd high court said that the cow is taken to be a representative of divinity across faith. (Representative Image)

Rejecting a plea seeking to quash charges against Barabanki resident Mohammad Abdul Khaliq in a cow smuggling and slaughter case, a single-judge bench of Justice Shamim Ahmed said: “This court also hopes and trust that the central government may take appropriate decision to ban cow slaughtering in the country and to declare the same as ‘protected national animal’.”

Alluding to religious scriptures and text, the court said that the cow is taken to be a representative of divinity across faith. “[In] all religions... the belief and faith is that cow is representative of divine and natural beneficence and should therefore be protected and venerated,” said the court in its observation.

An FIR was filed lodged against Khaliq on November 2, 2019, on charges of cow slaughter and smuggling under various sections of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.