Would not allow unregulated slaughter of animals: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court, on Thursday, while hearing a plea against the ban on animal sacrifice within the protected area of Vishalgad Fort in Kolhapur, said it would not allow the unregulated slaughter of animals anywhere as there is a need to maintain hygiene and cleanliness. The bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale was hearing a petition filed by the Hajrat Peer Malik Rehan Mira Saheb Dargah Trust challenging the directives issued by the Deputy Director of Archaeology and Museums, Mumbai on February 1, prohibiting the illegal slaughter of animals in the name of sacrifice to god. Petitioners also claimed that animal sacrifice at the dargah is an integral custom and that the actual sacrifice does not happen in a public place but on privately-owned land and is performed behind closed doors. Let us be very clear that we will dismiss the petition on this ground itself, saying it is motivated.” In their petition, the trust also alleged that directives issued by the Deputy Director of Archaeology and Museums, Mumbai banning animal sacrifice were arbitrary, discriminatory, unjust, high-handed, oppressive, and violative of their fundamental rights.