Supreme Court Rejects PIL Seeking Nationwide Enforcement Of Cow Protection Laws, Says File Contempt Plea For Violations
The Supreme Court dismissed as withdrawn a PIL seeking nationwide enforcement of cow protection laws and advised the petitioner to file a contempt petition if any existing court order was being violated
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed as withdrawn a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking nationwide enforcement of laws protecting cows and their progeny, while observing that the appropriate remedy in case of violation of any existing court order would be to initiate contempt proceedings.
The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing the petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, which sought directions to all States to strictly enforce anti-cow slaughter laws in terms of the Constitution Bench judgment in State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat (2005) 8 SCC 534.
The plea was filed by Advocate Barun Kumar Sinha through AoR Anantha Narayana M.G.
Advocate Barun Kumar Sinha also sought directions for framing uniform guidelines to regulate slaughterhouses across the country and to ensure legal action against operators violating existing anti-slaughter laws.
During the hearing, the Bench declined to entertain the plea. "Dismissed as withdrawn. File a contempt petition if there's violation of some order," the Court observed.
About the PIL
The petition had contended that despite the Supreme Court's landmark 2005 Constitution Bench ruling upholding a complete prohibition on the slaughter of cows and their progeny, implementation of anti-cow slaughter laws remained inconsistent across States.
Tracing the legislative history of cattle preservation laws from the Bombay Animal Preservation Act, 1948, the petition referred to Article 48 of the Constitution, which directs the State to preserve and improve breeds and prohibit the slaughter of cows, calves and other milch and draught cattle.
It also relied on the Constitution Bench decision in Mohd. Hanif Quareshi v. State of Bihar (1959 SCR 629) and the subsequent seven-judge Constitution Bench judgment in State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat (2005), which upheld Gujarat's stringent prohibition on the slaughter of cow progeny and overruled the earlier judgment to the extent it had struck down such restrictions.
Besides seeking strict implementation of anti-cow slaughter laws, the petitioner had prayed for directions to States to notify guidelines regulating slaughterhouses and to initiate action against operators allegedly violating existing statutory provisions.
However, the Supreme Court permitted the petitioner to withdraw the plea, observing that if any binding judicial order was being violated, the appropriate course would be to invoke the Court's contempt jurisdiction rather than seek fresh directions through a writ petition.
Case Title: Satish Kumar Aggarwal v. Union of India & Ors.
Bench: Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
Hearing Date: July 13, 2026