In a reminder to Governments to do not to tinker with religious sensitivities associated with animal sacrifices, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to end or by any way regulate the religious custom of sacrificing animals.
In the name of preventing atrocity against animals, an obligation of all States and Centre under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960, a PIl filed by an organisation Varaaki advocated for guidelines to
ensure that sacrifice of animals should be done by a trained butcher and in a manner that caused least pain to the animal.
The bench of Chief Justice Hl Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy referred the same law to suggest that the legislature in its wisdom permitted to kill animals. Terming it a “sensitive matter”, the bench was alive to the reality that in several parts of the country animals are sacrificed to appease gods and goddesses.
For the petitioner, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran cited a case from Himachal Pradesh, pending before the apex court, where the manner of animal sacrifices is under consideration. The court said, “We can’t be closing our eyes to century old traditions and began examining it in a PIl. At the end of the day court has to balance harmony of all faiths and religions.”
The bench noted that in the name of protecting animals against cruelty, one cannot be blind to the age-old religious beliefs practiced over generations.
Rather than making a generalised statement that all sacrifices are illegal, the bench allowed the petitioner to withdraw and raise specific instances before appropriate court where animals are killed in violation of safeguards set by PCA Act.