Delhi High Court reserves order in plea alleging illegal transportation of camels for R-day parade
A division bench of the Delhi High Court reserved order in a plea filed by Scouts, and Guides for Animals and Birds Trust alleging illegal transportation of camels during the Republic Day parade function every year.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad of the Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved the order in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging illegal transportation of camels during the Republic Day parade function, reports ANI.
The division bench while reserving the order noted that the Animal Welfare Board India (AWBI) had filed a status report and was ready to comply with it.
The AWBI's status report requested the Director General of Border Security Forces (BSF) to take necessary action in the matter considering the pain and suffering of the camels during transportation and to ensure that the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA), 1960 and rules made thereunder are followed in letter and spirit.
AWBI also stated that the BSF in its letter provided a detailed response to the petitioner's grievance regarding camel transportation and mentioned that the National Research Centre of Camel, Bikaner, and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on camel transportation in BSF are strictly being followed.
In the PIL plea, the petitioner, 'Scouts, and Guides for Animals and Birds', a registered trust, claimed that 100 camels are brought to Delhi from Prayagraj in goods transport vehicles every year, in violation of Sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, along with other relevant acts.
Petitioner Trust further claimed that the respondent's failure to take any action in connection with the illegal transportation of camels into the state for the Republic Day event is awful and because of this "tradition," camels are illegally transported from Rajasthan and brought into Delhi every year.
The Petitioner Trust sought Court to take suo-moto cognizance of the alleged illegal transportation of camels in flagrant violation of Union of India rules.
“According to Section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, rules dealing with various aspects have been enacted from time to time to fulfill the Act's purposes”, the plea read.