The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra Government to file its say on why it was restricting the ban on slaughter, possession and consumption to cows, bulls and bullocks and not including other animals like goat under the amended State’s Animal Preservation law.
Hearing a bunch of PIls challenging section 5 (d) of the recent Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act that banned the possession and consumption of meat of animals like cow, bull and bullock, a HC division bench of justices VM Kanade and AR Joshi asked, “Why has the State banned only cows, bulls and bullocksIJ What about other animals like goatIJ”.
Responding to the HC bench’s query, Maharashtra’s Advocate General Sunil Manohar said the Government was considering extending the ban to other animals as well. “This is just the start (banning of cows, bulls and bullocks). We may consider banning slaughter of other animals too. As of now the state felt it was necessary to protect cows, bulls and bullocks,” the State AG told the court.
Justice Kanade said since the newly amended Act did not prohibit the slaughter of cattle outside the State, the State Government could think terms of having a licence policy by which import of meat of cattle slaughtered outside the State could be permitted.
“The section 5 (d) of the Act which is under challenge does not prohibit slaughter of cattle outside the State. Why should a person be prevented to eat or possess beef that has been slaughtered outsideIJ Indirectly you (Government) are prohibiting slaughter of animals outside the State too,” Justice Kanade said.
Maintaining that section 5 (d) of the newly amended Act was arbitrary and against the fundamental right of a citizen, senior counsel Aspi Chinoy, appearing for one of the petitioners, said that if the object of the Act was to preserve cattle in Maharashtra, then the import of meat should be allowed.
Taking an objection to the contention of the petitioner’s lawyer, Advocate General Manohar said, “How can the State say slaughter of cattle in Maharashtra amounts to cruelty but one can slaughter outside the StateIJ. That would also amount to cruelty. The Act incidentally prohibits import also”.
While posting the next hearing of the PIls to April 20, the HC Bench directed the Maharashtra Government to file its affidavit in reply to the petitions by then.