Authority: Calcutta High Court, Circuit Bench at Jalpaiguri Criminal Revisional Jurisdiction Appellate Side
Order Date: 29 July 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioner: Md. Jamal, who was placed in custody of 43 cattle seized by police on 24 December 2025 while the cattle were being transported illegally.
- The police handed the cattle to the petitioner for care and protection; he incurred substantial expenses in raising and maintaining the animals.
- The petitioner filed a revisional application (C.R.R. No. 259 of 2026) alleging that the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Siliguri, violated the Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals Rules, 2017 by ordering the cattle transferred to Dhyan Foundation, Siliguri, on 11 June 2026 without directing reimbursement of the petitioner’s expenses.
- The magistrate’s order transferred the 43 cattle to the registered NGO Dhyan Foundation pending final decision of the case.
- The petitioner claimed entitlement to reimbursement for the money invested in the cattle’s care.
Final Outcome
- Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi held that there was no reason to interfere with the magistrate’s order and disposed of the revisional application, leaving the transfer to Dhyan Foundation in place and no reimbursement ordered.
Topics: Animal Custody, Court Proceedings