The Apex court recently has approved to hear the petition to frame guidelines which the police have to adopt when they seize the birds and animals and has also said that inhuman treatment of tagging and stamping of such animals and birds should be prohibited. Vacation bench justices UU Lalit and AK Sikri were hearing the petition and they posted the matter to be heard post 2 months. This petition was filed by Pet Lovers Association who was represented by Salman Khurshid along with another petitioner who had questioned the Gujarat High Court’s earlier order.
Imitiaz Ahmed who was another lawyer was asked by the bench, to withdraw the plea as he was not party to it when the matter was before High Court, wherein it had stated that the birds too have certain fundamental rights and further the apex court said that the issues of general nature should be raised in the appeal. After the vacation, the petition where the issue of law has been raised would be heard was stated by the court. The association’s PIL that check the trade of exotic birds told that there was no proper standard in keeping such birds and animals which were provided under the law. In the plea they had asked the court to direct the government to give instructions to all the police in the state and all police stations that they should not harass the members who traded their business as per the law. In the plea they also requested the court that proper directions to all the governments and environment department should follow proper guidelines with regard to treating of the seized birds and animals until the matter is disposed of before the courts. In the petition there was action sought against few NGOs who were misappropriating the birds and animals. Imposition of inhumane treatment of these animals like tagging, ringing and stamping should be prohibited. In the plea they said that these NGOs had seized the birds from pet shop owners and were illegally kept by them and had exploited for marketable profit. They also said that there was no successful prosecutions were seen and police were harassing these innocent people.
by Sushma Javare.
