The Supreme Court on Friday pointed out what it called a contradiction in the way society treats cattle. The Court said that while many people abandon cows and bulls once they are no longer useful and let them roam freely on roads, they also get deeply offended if someone uses those animals for food.

The remarks were made by a Bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh while hearing a case related to stray cattle accidents and discussing steps that the Centre and States can take to solve the growing problem.

The judges said that anyone who chooses to keep an animal should take responsibility for caring for it throughout its life.

"We have already touched upon the issue of animals being let go as their utility dwindled. In a perfect world, this would not be the case. All those who have chosen to bring an animal home shall see to it that they are looked after for their whole life. But the reality is that we live in a deeply flawed, human world," the Bench observed.

The Court further said that society often ignores the safety of abandoned cattle but reacts strongly if those same animals are used as food.

The Bench clarified that pets and cattle raised for commercial purposes are different. It noted that many of the cattle seen wandering on roads were originally kept for milk or other economic benefits. Once they stop being productive, they are often abandoned.

The Court acknowledged that many farmers and dairy owners may not have enough money to look after animals that are no longer productive. However, it said abandoning them on roads is not the answer. Instead, owners should ensure such animals are safely shifted to authorised shelters.

The Court also observed that although 24 States have laws banning cattle slaughter, the provisions for protecting cattle are not being properly implemented.

These observations came while deciding an appeal filed by the widow of a man who died after being attacked by a stray bull in Sangrur, Punjab, in 2007. The Supreme Court awarded her ₹15 lakh as compensation and used the case to address the larger issue of stray cattle on roads.

Calling stray cattle a serious public safety concern, the Court said such accidents happen regularly and that cattle are "not meant to be natural speed breakers" on highways and streets. Referring to official data, it noted that more than 1,300 people have died every year in recent years due to animal-related accidents.

To deal with the problem, the Court suggested that States strictly enforce cattle protection laws, create a compensation scheme for victims of stray cattle accidents, make cattle tagging compulsory, ensure abandoned animals are shifted to recognised shelters, and appoint nodal officers to monitor cattle tagging, digital records and animal shelters.

The Court also directed that a copy of its judgment be sent to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories for consideration.

The observations were made in Nisha v. Municipal Council, Sangrur.