Citation : 2021 Latest Caselaw 72 j&K
Judgement Date : 5 February, 2021
Sr. No. 101
HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
AT JAMMU
CJ Court
Case: WP(C) PIL No. 18 of 2020
(Through Video Conferencing)
SAVE ...Petitioner(s)/Appellant(s)
Through: Sh. S. S. Ahmed, Advocate.
v/s
The Union of India and others. .... Respondent(s)
Through: Sh. D. C. Raina, Advocate General
with Sh. KDS Kotwal, Dy. AG.
CORAM:
HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJNESH OSWAL, JUDGE
ORDER
1. Heard Sh. S. S. Ahmed, learned counsel for the petitioner and Sh.
D.C. Raina, learned Advocate General for the Union Territory of Jammu and
Kashmir.
2. The petitioner is an NGO working for the wildlife protection. It has
initiated this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India in public
interest for commanding the respondents to enact a law prohibiting slaughter of
cows and its progeny, ox, bull, buffalo etc in the Union Territory of Jammu and
Kashmir and to make such an act of slaughtering of these animals a cognisable
offence with strict punishment.
3. It is settled law that no writ of mandamus would lie for issuing
direction for enacting a particular law. It is for the law makers i.e. the
legislature of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to enact a law on a
given subject. The said task cannot be given to any of the respondents. At
present the legislature of the Union Territory is not in place. Therefore, at the
moment no such law can be considered for being enacted.
4. The court cannot take upon the task of enacting the law itself or to
issue any direction in this regard to any other authority as the same is only
within the domain of the legislature of the Union Territory.
5. Sh. Ahmed relying upon the judgment of the Supreme Court in
Miscellaneous Application No. 2560/2018 [in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 738 of
2016] titled Dr. Ashwani Kumar v. Union of India and another, passed on
05.09.2019 submits that if there is any vacuum in law, the courts can certainly
intervene and issue necessary directions.
6. Enacting of law to prohibit the slaughter of cows and its progeny is a
new subject and can not be due to any vacuum in law. It is a fresh demand of
certain section of the people or the wildlife lovers to have such a law on the
subject with the repeal of RPC. It is for the law makers to consider and to take
a call on it.
7. Sh. D. C. Raina, learned Advocate General on the other hand submits
that the grievance of the petitioner can be taken care of by the Chief Secretary
and as and when the legislature comes into existence, the matter can be brought
to its notice for due consideration.
8. In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, we do not deem it
necessary to keep this petition pending and dispose of the same with liberty to
the petitioner to raise his grievance before the Chief Secretary by submitting a
comprehensive representation in that regard who on consideration of the same
will do the needful as observed above.
9. Petition is disposed of accordingly along with all pending
miscellaneous applications.
(RAJNESH OSWAL) (PANKAJ MITHAL)
JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE
Jammu
05.02.2021
Raj Kumar
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