HC grants status of legal entity to animals

The High Court of Uttarakhand has declared entire animal kingdom including avian and aquatic creatures as legal entities. This order was issued by the division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh while hearing on a public interest litigation filed by Banbasa resident Narayan Datt Bhatt.

In the PIL filed in 2014, the petitioner had mentioned carts pulled by horses and buffaloes on the about 14 kilometre stretch between Banbasa and Mahendranagar in Nepal, appealing that facility be made for their health checks, vaccination and related aids. The petitioner had also raised doubts about smuggling of illegal arms, drugs and human trafficking through such carts which were also affecting traffic. He had further stated that such horse and buffalo driven carts were not checked on the Indo-Nepal border and that the provisions of the India-Nepal cooperation treaty 1991 were being violated. The petition had been heard on June 13 with the court keeping its judgment reserved. In the order issued on Wednesday, the court observed that to promote greater welfare of the animals they need to be given status of legal entity/person with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities. The court also declared the people as conservators of the animals. The division bench also directed the Banbasa Nagar Panchayat to administer checks to the horses and mules coming from Nepal to India and to also open a veterinary clinic at the border. The GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology vice chancellor was also directed to form a three member committee headed by the head of the animal husbandry department to present a report on cases related to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The vice chancellor will send the report to the chief secretary. The court also stated that the government should ensure that animals are not made to carry excess load while also directing that the animals should not be made to work in extreme temperatures.