Allahabad, Nov. 9 -- The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay over Rs 15 lakh in compensation to a man whose vehicle was seized on suspicion of cattle smuggling for slaughter.

In 2023, Tej Prakash's vehicle was stopped by the Mirzapur Police on the assumption that two bullocks were being transported to West Bengal for slaughter.

Mirzapur shares a border with Bihar. The vehicle was seized and subsequently confiscated.

The court found that the action was based merely on suspicion rather than concrete evidence.

"Such a conclusion is founded merely upon conjectures and surmises and is wholly unsupported by any independent evidence," Justice Sandeep Jain said.

"Unless there exists positive and cogent evide...