Horse owner drags Blue Cross to court

Justice B Rajendran, who heard the plea, ordered notice to Blue Cross of India returnable by Monday. M Arumugam in his plea claimed that owing to three of his relatives passing away between the 2012 and 2013, he had consulted various astrologers and all of them had advised him that “his family deity Karuppuswamy, who travels on a black horse was angry and to pacify him he needs to buy a black horse and take care of it to escape his wrath.” He further submitted that he had bought a black pony from a person in Mugalivakkam for Rs 5,500 and was taking good care of the horse by bathing it daily, feeding it well and providing it a conducive environment. But notwithstanding this, it fell ill and on February 19, 2014, and he had taken it to the veterinary hospital at Vepery for treatment. 

A person who happens to be the son of an office-bearer at the Blue Cross of India, chanced upon the horse then and took the horse to the Nungambakkam police station. The police subsequently handed the horse to Blue Cross after registering an FIR. Based on the FIR, Arumugam was produced at the Magistrate Court which imposed a fine of Rs 50. Arumugam had promptly paid it too. Yet, he did not get his horse back. He has now sought the court to return the horse to him as he has got a right to rear any domestic animal of his choice and that the said horse is his family deity. He also claimed that the action of the Blue Cross, without there being any cause of action is against the law and that his right of rearing the said animal cannot be curtailed under the guise of animal welfare in an arbitrary manner.