Telangana High Court on Thursday issued notices to the State government and GHMC in a PIL petition seeking a direction to stop alleged ‘illegal transportation of camels from Rajasthan to Telangana’ for slaughtering for meat.
A doctor from Hasmathpet of Bowenpally, K. Shashikala, who filed the PIL plea, charged that camels were being brought from Rajasthan to Telangana, especially Hyderabad, either on foot or in crammed vehicles. They were being slaughtered for meat, she stated.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, hearing the PIL plea, sought to know how many camels were being transported illegally to Hyderabad. The Chief Justice observed that camels were almost extinct in Rajasthan. The bench said GHMC should stop the nefarious activities of individuals indulging in the slaughter.
Stating that there were several laws and special Acts which had banned slaughtering of camels, the petitioner said it was an offence under the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The doctor said that Rajasthan accounted for 82% of camel population in the country.
While there were an estimated 12 lakh camel in the country in 1997, the numbers dwindled to less than 2.5 lakh by 2019, the petitioner claimed. The petitioner’s counsel Divya told the court that a copy of the FIR issued on August 13, 2019, relating to slaughtering of camels in the old city of Hyderabad was furnished for examination.
Already, the Apex Court, hearing a similar matter, gave direction in 2012 to all States and Union Territories to constitute State Committees for Slaughter Houses.
Counsel apprehended that there was a likelihood of slaughtering of camels going up in Hyderabad in the backdrop of a festival to be celebrated on July 30. Special Government Pleader Sanjeev Kumar, appearing for the government, said all measures would be taken to stop slaughtering of camels.
The matter was posted for July 15.