Ferrying cattle not crime, court swamped with so many false cow slaughter cases: Allahabad HC
Lucknow (PTI): Transporting cattle within the state does not constitute a crime, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has said.
The court noted that it is facing a flood of cases in which people are being framed under the Cow Slaughter Act.
Taking a serious view of the matter, the court directed the principal secretary, home, and the director general of police to file personal affidavits regarding the steps being taken to prevent misuse of the Cow Slaughter Act.
The court cautioned the two officers that if their affidavits were not filed by November 7, they would have to appear in person and respond.
It also asked these two top officers as to why heavy fines should not be imposed on the government in such cases.
A bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice AK Chaudhary passed the order on October 9, on the petition of Rahul Yadav, a resident of Pratapgarh.
The court gave the ruling on the petition that pleaded that the police were harassing him solely because a vehicle carrying cattle (progeny of a cow) was registered in his name.
The petition said the vehicle carrying nine cattle heads was being driven by his driver.
The petitioner argued that he had no intention of slaughtering the cattle, and therefore, implicating him under the Cow Slaughter Act was wrong.
Hearing the submission, the court ordered the police not to take any coercive action against the petitioner.
"The matter cannot be treated to be so simple inasmuch as this Court is deluged with such matters on the basis of First Information Reports being filed left and right by the authorities and complainants under the provisions of the Cow Slaughter Act," the bench observed.
The bench cited previous decisions to state that merely transporting cattle within the state is not a crime, nor is preparing to slaughter cattle.
In the present case, the court found that all nine cattle heads were unharmed and not slaughtered and were being transported from Amethi to Pratapgarh, and therefore, the petitioner's implication under the Cow Slaughter Act was unjustified.
The court, all the same, did not stay the investigation and directed the petitioner to cooperate with the police.
The court also sought replies from the two officers on the steps taken by the government to curb mob violence and vigilantism being practised by some people and outfits in cow matters.
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
