Cow slaughter: Bombay High Court refuses to grant relief to beef dealers
"Don't make it a religious and prestige issue," observed the Bombay high court while refusing to grant relief to beef dealers in the city who had challenged the ban on sale of beef.
"Don't make it a religious and prestige issue," observed the Bombay high court while refusing to grant relief to beef dealers in the city who had challenged the ban on sale of beef.A division bench of justices VM Kanade and AR Joshi observed that the new law, Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans slaughter of bullocks and bulls, has come into effect as it has been notified in the official gazette.Justice Kanade said: "Since the law has come into effect now the authorities are duty bound to take action if slaughter is carried out. Please do not make this a religious and prestige issue."The HC was hearing an application filed by Bombay Suburban Beef Dealers' Welfare Association seeking to intervene in a petition filed by the Bhartiya Gauvansh Rakshan Sanvardhan Parishad which sought enforcement of the new law.The beef dealers association had earlier claimed that the new law would come into effect only after it is notified in the official gazette. The state government today submitted to the court the notification following which the court said it cannot grant any relief.Advait Sethna, counsel for the Union government, informed the HC that the notification to the effect had been passed and produced the same before the court.The HC had asked the petitioners to make the Union government a respondent in the petition after Sethna pointed out that as the presidential assent was given to the ban, it was necessary to hear their (union government) stand as well.President Pranab Mukherjee last month gave his sanction to changes in the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill. While earlier, the slaughter of cows was banned, the new rule adds bulls and bullocks to that list. Anyone found to be selling beef or in possession of it can be jailed for five years and fined Rs 10,000.Last week, the HC, in an interim order, had directed Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria and BMC commissioner Sitaram Kunte to ensure that the slaughter of bulls and bullocks is stopped at the Deonar abattoir.