The Bombay High Court on Friday reserved its ruling on petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of the law imposing an extensive ban on beef in Maharashtra.
A HC division bench of Justices AS Oka and SC Gupte reserved its ruling after hearing both sides on a bunch of petitions challenging the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which prohibits the slaughter of bulls and bullocks - in addition to a ban on cow slaughter imposed through the original law in 1976.
The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, for which President Pranab Mukherjee granted sanction in February last year, holds the sale of bulls and bullocks in the State for slaughter an offence punishable with five-year jail term and ` 10,000 fine.
Besides, possession of meat of cow or bull or bullock is also an offence for which the punishment prescribed is one year jail and `2,000 fine. Harish Jagtiani, a lawyer, and Arif Kapadia, a resident, are among the petitioners who challenged this provision of law which says mere possession of beef in any place in the State is a crime.
Jagtiani stated in his petition this provision of law is arbitrary and hits upon the cosmopolitan nature of the city which is home for people from various religions and communities, while Kapadia described as “draconian” section 5(D) of the Act which makes possession of meat of any cow, bull or bullock slaughtered outside the state a cognisable and non-bailable offence.