The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on a plea moved by former cricketer Kapil Dev and two others against cruelty towards animals.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the Union of India, the Animal Welfare Board of India, Delhi police and Delhi government in the matter and listed it for hearing on December 19.
The petitioners–Kapil Dev, his wife Romi Dev and animal rights activist Anjali Gopalan — have said that the plea was filed on account of repeated instances of barbaric treatment meted out to animals showing the “most brutal and cruel face of humanity”.
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The plea challenges certain portions of Section 11 of the Act, which “provides for the destruction of stray dogs in lethal chamber or by such other methods as may be prescribed and for extermination or destruction of any animal under the authority of any law for the time being in force”, on the ground that it is arbitrary, unreasonable and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution.
The plea prays for launching sensitisation drives about the rights of animals and also seeks directions for providing scientific and updated tools and training to veterinarians as well as local investigation agencies and judicial officers to equip them with knowledge of animal laws prevalent in the country.
The plea has also challenged sections 428 (Mischief by killing or maiming animal of the value of ten rupees) and 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc., of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) of the IPC claiming that these provisions show instances of speciesism suggesting lack of moral worth or value in animals.
