Gujarat High Court orders police protection after municipal workers tackling stray cattle menace beaten up

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday ordered the Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad to ensure that adequate police protection is provided to municipal officers who implement court orders to tackle the stray cattle menace [Mustak Hussain Mehndi Hussain Kadri v. Jagdeep Narayan Singh, IAS]..A division bench of Justices Ashutosh Shastri and Hemant Prachhchak said that the State police cannot give a wrong message to society that officers enforcing the law would be beaten up by anti-social elements.The bench noted that at least three incidents have come to light, wherein municipal officers have been beaten up for implementing court orders."We would like to know what steps are taken by Police authorities against attack on municipal officers at three places, that too in the presence of police personnel. What action has been taken in those cases? If any FIR has been lodged against anyone or not?" the bench asked Advocate General Kamal Trivedi..The bench, therefore, ordered the AG to file an affidavit on Thursday morning with an undertaking that police protection would be given to municipal officers who implement court orders. "Tomorrow morning, Commissioner must file an affidavit stating that they will provide adequate police force to municipal authorities, which are going to implement this court's order," the bench ordered.Not providing protection to such officers would give a wrong message to society, the Court added. "This will give a wrong message to the society that officers are beaten up when they enforce the law. It will demoralise the officers who are going to implement the orders. Thus, file an affidavit undertaking to provide police protection," the bench said. .Video clips of attacks on officers were disturbing, the Court further observed. "We have seen the video clips. The attackers were beating up officers as if they are beating animals. In no circumstances, such things can be tolerated," the bench made it clear..The Court, however, also acknowledged that some 'positive' steps have been taken by the authorities in curbing the menace of stray cattle. "We have seen that some steps have been taken by the authorities. Just that this 'spirit' of implementing the court orders must continue even during Diwali and post that," the bench emphasised..The Court was hearing a contempt petition over the non-compliance with its directions in a 2018 judgment. The matter involved a public interest litigation plea that had highlighted the poor quality of roads in the State as well as the cattle menace and parking problems in Ahmedabad.The contempt petition was filed by Mustak Hussain Mehndi Hussain Kadri through Advocate Amit Panchal.The petition mentioned that various directions given by the Court in 2018 with respect to the proper rehabilitation of stray cattle and ensuring better roads and traffic, were not being complied with till date.