In the petition praying for action against violent cow protection groups, the Supreme Court, in its last hearing, had issued a notice returnable in three weeks, asking for an answer from different state governments.

The bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra was told on May 3 that no state except Karnataka had responded. Explaining the situation, the opposite counsel said the petition was not maintainable “as they seek writ of mandamus to enable the authorities to act within the law, that in itself is being done.”

Petitioners’ counsel Hegde said there were different petitions with different prayers, filed by people who had actually suffered. “If your lordship assigns one police officer for each state to regulate, things will be sorted.”

The court gave the Union government as well as other governments six weeks’ time to come back with answers.

—By India Legal Bureau