Supreme Court criticizes cow abandonment despite slaughter protests in India
The Supreme Court just called out how people in India often abandon cows when they're no longer useful, but still protest against their slaughter.
This came up after a tragic case where a stray bull killed someone in Punjab.
The judges said it's not okay to treat animals like this and pointed out that over 1,300 lives are lost annually in animal-related road accidents.
Court directs livestock tagging and shelters
To fix things, the court has urged that all livestock be digitally tagged so owners can be held accountable if they abandon animals.
States now have to enforce existing cattle protection laws, set up compensation for accident victims, and make sure abandoned animals end up in registered shelters, not just left on the streets.
All state leaders have been told to act quickly on these new directions.