The curious case of missing cows in ‘police custody’
The cow controversy continues to chase Jammu and Kashmir Government. In a latest, six cows which were “seized” by police in the summer capital here, a day before Eid-ul-Azha in September, have gone missing.
The case has now landed in a local court here which has directed for personal appearance of the Station House Officer (SHO) Karan Nagar Police Station for filing the status report about the animals.In his petition before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar, owner of the cows, Muzaffar Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Muhammad Dar of Tulkhan Bijbehara pleaded that a police party from Karan Nagar Police Station seized his six cows on September 24.
“I am running an animal farm in Bijbehara and I had brought the cows to Srinagar for a check-up by a veterinarian but Karan Nagar police seized the animals without any justification or cause,” Dar said in his petition.
The police had “seized” the cows at a time when Kashmir was in the midst of a controversy in the wake of the September High Court order, directing the State Government to strictly implement the Dogra era law banning cow slaughter and sale of beef.
The separatists and religious groups had however opposed the ban, asking people in Kashmir to sacrifice cows on Eid.
The issue brought Muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir on the brink of division on religious lines with Jammu seeking complete ban on cow slaughter while as Kashmiris terming it as interference in their religious matters.
Amid the controversy, J&K police a few days before the Eid laid nakas to seize cows being ferried for the sacrifice.
“The applicant is dependent on these animals for his livelihood and for running his farm,” reads the petition by Dar while pleading for release of his cows.
Counsel for the petitioner, Shafaqat Hussain, said the cows, valuing over Rs eight lakhs, were seized by police near Karan Nagar.
He said the Chief Judicial Magistrate had directed the Station House Officer (SHO) Karan Nagar to file the status report about the seized cows.
“However the police defied the court order. The court has now sought personal appearance of the SHO on November 30 after we filed a contempt petition today,” said Hussain.
The police however denied having made any seizure.
“We hadn’t seized any cows and there is no such case. We haven’t received any direction from the court as well,” SHO Parvaiz Ahmad told .
He said they had laid the nakas on the day but didn’t make any seizure.
