Allahabad High Court orders ₹15 lakh compensation for vehicle seizure over cattle slaughter suspicion

The Allahabad High Court ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to pay over fifteen lakh rupees in compensation after Mirzapur police wrongly seized a vehicle transporting two bullocks on suspicion of illegal cattle slaughter. Justice Sandeep Jain held that authorities confiscated the vehicle based purely on assumptions because Mirzapur adjoins Bihar, stating that inter-State boundaries alone do not prove illegal transportation. The vehicle was seized on 18 Sep 2023 under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. The petitioner argued that no evidence showed any intent to slaughter or any cruelty. The Court noted that the bullocks were never examined by any veterinary doctor to substantiate cruelty claims. Quashing the confiscation, the Court directed the release of the vehicle and ordered compensation of forty thousand rupees per month from the date of seizure until actual release, plus an additional twenty-five thousand rupees for harassment and financial hardship. The Court also ruled that the State may recover these funds from the responsible officers after an inquiry, as stated by The Siasat Daily.