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Bombay High Court refuses to grant stay on slaughter ban for Eid

 The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant interim stay on the ban on slaughter of bulls and calves and the sale of beef for three days during Eid Al Adha in Maharashtra, and said it was for the state government to take a decision.
The government had earlier in the year enacted a law imposing a ban on the slaughter of bulls and calves and the sale and consumption of beef. A ban on cow slaughter has been in force for several years.
A group of petitioners challenged the act, claiming it violated their constitutional rights including freedom of religion.
Citing the recent Maharashtra government circular banning the slaughter of animals and sale of meat for a few days during Prayushan, a Jain festival, the petitioners said the government should also consider easing the ban on beef for three days from September 25 during Eid Al Adha. They said slaughter of animals and their sacrifice was an essential part of religious practice for Muslims.
But the division bench of the court refused to grant an interim sale on the slaughter of bulls and calves and on the sale of beef at this stage. The judges said the Maharashtra Preservation of Animals (Amendment) Act had no provisions to relax the ban on certain days, so they could not grant the stay.
However, the court said all the respondents will have to file detailed affidavits for it to deal with the matter and posted the final hearing to October 12.
The state government's move to ban the slaughter of bulls and prohibit the consumption of beef has been slammed by various political parties and activists. Many have also challenged the act at the Bombay High Court.

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