Chhattisgarh HC: Not Every Buffalo Truck Heads to Slaughterhouse, Orders Return of 15 Buffaloes

• Chhattisgarh High Court ordered the return of 15 buffaloes seized by Mahasamund police to their owners.
• Police had seized the buffaloes under suspicion of being transported for slaughter, citing the Chhattisgarh Agricultural Cattle Slaughter Prohibition Act, 2004.
• The owners, small farmers and dairy operators, argued that the buffaloes were their livelihood and were being transported for agricultural and dairy work.
• Justice Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal remarked that transporting animals is not a crime unless proven for slaughter, and keeping them in custody harms farmers.
• The decision provides significant relief to farmers and livestock owners, emphasizing that mere transportation is not illegal.

Why It Matters: Chhattisgarh HC ruled that transporting animals isn't inherently illegal, ordering 15 buffaloes returned to owners.