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The Karnataka Cabinet, on Thursday, December 4, approved a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020. This will allow vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transport to be released on an indemnity bond instead of a bank guarantee. The move is aimed at addressing practical difficulties faced by small vehicle owners in securing bank guarantees for the release of their vehicles.
At present, the law mandates that the current value of the seized vehicle be deposited in a bank along with a bank guarantee for its release. The animal husbandry department noted that this requirement has proven difficult for owners of vehicles priced between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and above, as many are unable to obtain bank guarantees. The amendment will introduce the option of furnishing an indemnity bond as an alternative mechanism for securing release.
The government has cited a 2022 High Court order that directed the release of seized vehicles on indemnity bonds as the basis for the legislative change. The 2020 Act, introduced by the previous BJP government, replaced the earlier 1964 law, which had permitted slaughter of bulls, bullocks and buffaloes above 12 years of age or those deemed unfit for breeding or milk production.
The current law imposes a blanket ban on cow slaughter, allowing it only in cases of terminal illness, while buffaloes above 13 years may be slaughtered with official permission. It also prohibits transportation of cattle within or outside the state for slaughter.
The proposed amendment has drawn sharp opposition from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which on December 6 demanded its immediate withdrawal. The organisation alleged that the government was weakening a law that had acted as a deterrent against illegal cattle transport. The VHP’s Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has announced district-level protests on December 8.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil KR said the government’s move amounted to “sympathy for cattle lifters” and claimed that it was part of broader actions “targeting Hindus”. He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a significant role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the existing Act, vehicles involved in cattle-related offences can be seized and, upon conviction, permanently confiscated. Warning against diluting these provisions, Sunil said, “Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders.” He also claimed that strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cattle-related offences and that easing vehicle release would encourage violations and lead to increased cruelty against cattle.