PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has granted the State government four weeks to file an affidavit in response to a contempt petition over its alleged failure to curb illegal bullfighting -- dhirio -- despite Court directions.
The Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Nivedita Mehta issued the notice while hearing a petition filed by activist Radhakrishna Salgaonkar. The court directed the government to submit a detailed reply on concrete measures taken so far, to stop dhirio in the State.
Salgaonkar approached the High Court, citing repeated violations of earlier orders, including the ban imposed in People for Animals vs Parimal Rai and Others and a ruling in Writ Petition No. 347 of 1996.
He submitted evidence of continued bullfights, including social media posts promoting events, and a detailed complaint sent to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Animal Welfare Board, Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, and Cyber Crime Police.
The petitioner alleged that no authorities acted on his representations.
During an earlier hearing, the court had refrained from issuing a contempt notice after Advocate General Devidas Pangam assured that the matter would be looked into. The petition has now been listed for orders next month.
In 2023, the High Court had directed the Director General of Police to prepare an action plan to prevent bullfights, identify organisers, and empower officers to intervene. Two months ago, the South Goa Collector convened a law-and-order coordination meeting and ordered round-the-clock police surveillance, intelligence gathering, and immediate preventive action against dhirio.
During the recently held monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly, most MLAs expressed support for giving dhirio legal recognition, after which Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured that the Law Department is examining the matter.
