With Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar on Friday (August 4) submitting before the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud that the central government had already (in May 2017) notified rules relating to the ban on cattle smuggling to Bangladesh and regarding the sale of cattle, the bench said: “We are of the view that Union of India has already passed some rules. Hence the sale of cattle will be done according to it.”

Kumar informed the court that the draft bill in this regard has also been notified.

The case emanates from a petition filed by the Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh which sought the court’s writ of mandamus to direct the Union of India to take appropriate steps to prevent smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh.

At the last hearing, the Solicitor General had submitted that the Union of India had filed its affidavit, along with finalized recommendations after consultation with stakeholders. He had said that the approved plan is in place and nine states are involved.

—India Legal Bureau