Mumbai: 76-year-old jailed for keeping his cattle unsheltered during 2013-deluge
Addressing the issue of animal cruelty, a Mumbai court awarded a man 10-day imprisonment and levied a penalty of Rs. 3,000 for keeping his cattle out in the open amidst torrential rains. The tied cattle had to endure the torture for 5-days during the 2013-deluge. The court said the 76-year-old should have made necessary arrangements for them, since they provide him a living.
Testimonials of four witnesses nailed the old man
Gopal Phulsunge owned 28 cattle-17 cows, three bulls and eight calves-and earned money by selling their milk. In 2013, when the city was lashed by rains in June, Phulsunge left all the animals stranded on a footpath, a fact which was confirmed by four witnesses. Metropolitan Magistrate AH Kashikar observed that the adverse weather could have been traumatic and fatal for the animals.
'Owing to large number, cattle shed could have been built'
It further said that since the number of cattle was large, a shelter could have been easily built. The court, acting upon animal activist Chetan Sharma's complaint, sentenced Phulsunge under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Sharma, associated with the NGO People for Animal Organization, had lodged a complaint at Kalachowki police-station after noticing the animals below a metro bridge.
No proof against Phulsunge starving his cattle: Magistrate
The court, however, ruled out Sharma's other allegation that Phulsunge had starved his cattle. It pointed out that no medical reports prove this claim; in fact, all the witnesses testified that he did take proper care of his cattle. The verdict was necessary, even though it came after five long years. How often do we see people fighting for animals in court?
Animal abuse on an alarming rise; where's the law?
A 2017 report said 19,028 animal cruelty cases were reported in Mumbai and Thane in the past five years. With no strict law and measly penalty in place, people go scot-free despite torturing dogs, cats, birds, goats, horses, and cattle. In 2016, the Supreme Court had asked the Center to make amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Act and make it stricter.
Rampantly happening: Dogs getting beaten up, birds manhandled
This ruling was expected to put a cap on animal cruelty, but it didn't. Three days ago, selfie-lovers in a West Bengal village manhandled a peacock, some even pulling its legs and feathers, which finally led to its death. Dog beating is another crime that's rampantly happening. In April, a father-son duo in Delhi killed a dog, because it barked!
Maneka Gandhi had been fighting for animal rights since long
Not just torturing, neglecting and abandoning pets is cruelty too and that happens when people buy them impulsively, without signing up for the maintenance. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, a ferocious animal-rights activist, has often said that in India, there's no national-register for recording general crimes, leave alone punishing animal-abusers. But without strict laws, people would continue to rape, kill and torture these mute souls.
