The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the state government to clarify the exact date from which the new Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans the slaughter of bullocks and bulls, came into force.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the state government to clarify the exact date from which the new Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans the slaughter of bullocks and bulls, came into force.
A division bench of Justices VM Kanade and AR Joshi directed the government to file its reply on Thursday.
Why did HC seek this clarification?
The HC sought this clarification after senior advocate Yusuf Muchala, appearing for Bombay Suburban Beef Dealers' Welfare Association, claimed that the police had started seizing cattle from abattoirs and beef dealers even before the notification was issued by the state government.
While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Bhartiya Gauvansh Rakshan Sanvardhan Parishad seeking enforcement of the law on March 3, the HC had directed the police commissioner and civic body chief to take action against slaughter of bulls and bullocks.
What is the beef traders' claim?
Muchala argued that when the beef dealers' association had approached the HC on March 5, the government had stated that it was yet to issue a notification in the official gazette. "Only on March 9 was the court informed by the government that a notification has been issued," he argued.
He contended that after the March 3 order, the police had seized cattle from beef dealers. "If the notification had not been issued, then the police could not have taken action," he added. The bench then sought a reply from the government.
Why were the traders denied relief earlier?
The court had refused to grant relief to beef dealers early this week saying that authorities were duty-bound to take action since the notification has been issued in the official gazette.
Under the new law, which recently received the President's assent, anyone found to be selling beef or possessing it can be jailed for five years and fined Rs 10,000.
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