Nod to slaughter goats in Bombay High Court building has court fuming

For sure, you know of ‘Neil Armstrong’ as the first person to step on Moon. But do you known that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has given permission to slaughter five goats inside the Bombay High Court building during Bakhri-Eid, to an applicant by the same name.

To add to the irony, the permission was granted on August 14, inside court room no 13, which is presided over by Justice Abhay Oka, who was hearing a petition filed seeking to stop the entire online process. Justice Oka, after reading the permission submitted by Advocate Sujay Kantawala, quipped “We have faced several allegations but not this one, it is new for us.”

The court while hearing the Jiv Maitro Trust, was informed by Kantawala that as the hearing was going on in the court, at around 5.15 pm, another applicant was given permission to slaughter five goats inside court room no 52, which is presided over by the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. The bench said “This is shocking, who is going to supervise, if the online permissions are casually granted. Is it not ridiculous that someone has been granted to slaughter in room no 13?”

The bench directed the corporations’ counsel to contact the Municipal Commissioner, Ajoy Mehta, and ask whether he would stop the online system. Following the telephonic conversation the court was informed that the e-permission will be blocked immediately. Accordingly, the court granted the civic body time till Monday, to file its reply to the petition.

The Trust in its plea stated that online licences can be obtained for sacrificing goat or sheep in unlicensed places, between August 22 to 24. The plea also says that the person who desires to sacrifice can be given licence through this method, without any verification. The deonar abattoir is equipped with all facilities like disposal of waste, but not outside the abattoir. Sacrifice of animals on footpaths and roads will create health hazards and severely affect the well-being of the environment.

CASE DETAILS

• The BMC had given permission to slaughter 5 goats inside the Bombay HC bldg during Bakhri-Eid, to an applicant by name of Neil Armstrong.
   
• Bench directed the corporations’ counsel to stop the online system immediately