Of the five districts whose Collectors filed affidavits, only Idukki has the monitoring committee that the 2017 Rules require, and the Kerala High Court has now warned that it may close down all livestock markets in the State if committees are not constituted within eight weeks.
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Kochi: In a public interest litigation over cattle markets alleged to be operating in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, the Kerala High Court has warned that it “shall be constrained to close down all livestock markets” if District Animal Market Monitoring Committees are not constituted in every district within eight weeks [Angels Nair v. Union of India and Others].
The order in W.P.(PIL) No. 92 of 2026 came from a Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M.
What the affidavits showed
Affidavits from the District Collectors of Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Malappuram and Idukki were taken on record. Of these, only Idukki reported that the District Animal Market Monitoring Committee under the 2017 Rules has been constituted.
The affidavits further stated that the Rules are being followed for seized animals held as case property, but offered no supporting details. The Court said it was difficult to accept that the Rules have been fully followed, and held:
“the absence of the District Animal Market Monitoring Committee cannot be a ground to allow violations of the Rules 2017.”
What the petitioner alleges
Many cattle markets in the State operate without roofs and basic facilities for animals, the petitioner alleges, and she contends that this violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the 2017 Rules. Earlier, the Court had directed District Collectors and District Magistrates to file affidavits on compliance and to ensure that the District Animal Market Monitoring Committees were functioning, or to constitute them immediately where they were not.
Eight weeks, then December 2
If the committees are not constituted in every district within eight weeks, the Court recorded, it “shall be constrained to close down all livestock markets”. The State has also been directed to file an affidavit stating the total number of cases registered under the 2017 Rules and the steps taken against violators. The matter will next be heard on December 2, 2026.
Why the order matters
The order puts a deadline on a statutory oversight mechanism that, on the State’s own affidavits, exists in only one of the five districts that reported. By tying the continued operation of livestock markets to the constitution of the committees, the Court has signalled that the absence of a monitoring body will not excuse non-compliance with the 2017 Rules.
The closure warning is conditional and the petitioner’s allegations about individual markets remain to be tested; the Court has asked for data on cases registered and action taken before the next hearing.
Case Title: Angels Nair v. Union of India and Others [W.P.(PIL) No. 92 of 2026]
Bench: Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M., Kerala High Court
Date of Order: October 7, 2026