CHANDIGARH, Jan 15: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the chief goods supervisor and station supervisor at railway station, Howrah, against delivering 600 bulls to the consignee till further orders. The cattle, according to the petitioners, were to be sent to slaughter houses in West Bengal or Bangladesh.Pronouncing the orders in the open court, Justice R. S. Mongia and Justice S. S. Sudhalkar also directed the handing over of the consignment to the secretary of the Calcutta Pinjra Pole Society for taking care of the livestock.In their petition against the State of Punjab, Patiala Deputy Commissioner, Derabassi Sub Divisional Officer, two officials at railway station, Ghaggar, and others, petitioner Vijay Singh stated that the livestock was loaded on the train "in the presence and active connivance of the police officials, to frustrate the orders passed by the court".The petitioner stated that the cattle were loaded from the Ghaggar station at about 11 pm on January 11 despite the court order directing the SDO (civil) or any other competent authority to take action in accordance with the law on the petition challenging the export of cows being conveyed to the respondent at about 6.30 pm.Seeking directions for intercepting the train, the petitioner also stated that the cattle should be "seized and preserved in exercise of powers conferred under Section 9-A of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955." The train, he added, was scheduled to reach Howrah on January 16-17.
