Tue Aug 26 07:51:34 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has denied anticipatory bail to a Nuh resident, Asif, accused of transporting cows for slaughter. The court emphasized the cow’s sacred status in Indian society and the potential for such actions to disrupt public peace, especially when they offend the deeply held beliefs of a significant population. It cited Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, which enjoins compassion for all living creatures, and reiterated that the Constitution aims to build a just and cohesive society. The court also pointed out the accused’s history of similar offenses and the importance of custodial interrogation for a fair investigation, emphasizing that bail should not be granted to habitual offenders or those who misuse judicial trust. They reference the Supreme Court which upheld the constitutional validity of cow slaughter laws.
**News Article:**
**Punjab & Haryana High Court Denies Bail in Cow Slaughter Case, Cites Threat to Social Harmony**
*Chandigarh, August 26, 2025 (The Hindu)* – The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a Nuh resident, Asif, accused of transporting cows for slaughter, citing the potential for such acts to disrupt public peace and offend the religious sentiments of a significant portion of the Indian population.
Asif was booked under the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, and the Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1960, for allegedly transporting cows to Rajasthan for slaughter.
Justice Sandeep Moudgil, in the order made public Monday, August 25, stated, “This Court cannot remain oblivious to the fact that in a pluralistic society like ours, certain acts, while otherwise private, can have severe repercussions on public peace when they offend the deeply held beliefs of a significant population group.”
The court further emphasized the cow’s integral role in India’s agrarian economy and its pious status in society. The court referenced Article 51A(g) of the Indian Constitution, which urges compassion towards all living creatures, underscoring that alleged cow slaughter deliberately and provocatively undermines constitutional morality and social order.
The prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was essential for a fair and effective investigation, alleging the accused’s active involvement in cow slaughter.
The Court also highlighted the accused’s history of similar offenses, stating that prior grants of bail had been “misused, rather than respected.” They added that anticipatory bail is not a “right to impunity” and referenced a Supreme Court verdict upholding the constitutional validity of cow slaughter prohibition laws.
“Considering the serious nature of the allegations involving offences of moral turpitude, coupled with the fact that the petitioner is a habitual offender with a likelihood of reoffending, this Court is of the opinion that no grounds are made out for grant of anticipatory bail,” the order concluded. The court stated that the Constitution seeks to build a just, compassionate, and cohesive society, and the law must respond firmly when individual liberty is demonstrably misused.
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