21/03/2018
Update on the 55 csts rescued from Squalor in Pune.
Justice served Animals saved.
In a landmark judgment, a case handled by Regulus Legal - Advocates & Consultants, the JMFC, Cantonment Court, Pune, in the case of cat hoarding in Pune, handed over the custody of 55 cats to RESQ CHARITABLE TRUST, an animal welfare organization in Pune and ordered them to put the cats up for adoption. This follows a six month long battle in the court after the cats were rescued from horrendous conditions in a 1 BHK apartment in a society in Kondhwa.
In September 2017, the Police along with HAWO Meher Mathrani jointly with the help of RESQ Charitable Trust coordinated a rescue operation to save 55 cats from a dilapidated apartment in Kondhwa, Pune and owned by 2 sisters.
The cats were found in an extremely deplorable condition and were sent to RESQ Charitable Trust, for rehabilitation and care.
The Accused thereafter approached the Bombay High Court seeking orders that the seizure was illegal and that the custody be handed back to them. However, the High Court refused to grant any orders to the accused sisters.
The HAWO along with ResQ Charitable Trust, filed an Application, through Mr. HarshaVardhan Bhende of Regulus Advocates & Consultants, before the JMFC, Cantonment Court, Pune, seeking custody of the cats and directions to the accused to execute a bond in order to pay for the welfare & upkeep of the seized cats. The court ordered the accused to fulfill a bond towards the upkeep of the animals failing which the cats would be considered forfeited. The accused informed the court that they would not be executing the bond and their failure to take responsibility of the animals resulted in the final forfeiture of the rescued cats as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017. The Court further allowed ResQ to put up the 55 cats for adoption keeping in mind the well being and rehabilitation of the said cats.