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In a special hearing in a plea challenging animal slaughter in residential premises in south Mumbai, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed that no illegal animal sacrifice should take place inside residential premises in South Mumbai on the occasion of Bakri Eid, unless the required licence for the same has been issued by the BMC.
The court also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Police to take appropriate action as per law against the concerned persons.
On Wednesday evening , a division bench of Justice Girish S Kulkarni and Justice Jitendra Jain was hearing plea by one Haresh S Jain and Apeksha B Shah, residents of Nathani Heights situated at Lamington road, Mumbai Central.
Advocates Subhash Jha and Dinesh Tiwari, representing the residents, sought that directions be issued to the BMC and the Mumbai Police to take necessary action and prohibit the slaughtering of animals in the residential society. It also sought directions to authorities to stay the slaughtering of animals in the society during the pendency of the plea.
Jha said around 4am on June 27, the petitioners came to know that a few people brought animals to the building premises for slaughtering for the occasion of Bakri-Eid. The petitioners then approached the local police station, where they claimed they were given an oral assurance that no slaughter would take place in the society. However, since no action was taken, the residents were moved to write a petition and move court.
“The respondent BMC shall ensure that no illegal slaughtering of animals shall be allowed at Nathani Heights, unless the same is recognized or licensed by the Municipal Corporation,” the bench said.
“In the event the Municipal Corporation has not issued a licence to undertake slaughtering of animals at the said place, the officers of the Municipal Corporation with the aid of the police personnel shall take appropriate action in accordance with law to prevent slaughtering of animals proposed for Thursday.”
The court also directed the police commissioner /officer-in-charge of Nagpada police station to provide appropriate assistance to the officers of the municipal corporation in the event an action is required to be taken.
The bench posted further hearing in the matter to July 3.
Another application was filed by Hajrat Peer Malik Rehan Dargah Trust before a division bench led by Justice Gautam S Patel and Justice Neela K Gokhale, through advocate Madhavi Ayyappan, seeking permission for slaughtering animals for the occasion of Bakri-Eid, that will be observed on Thursday, at the Vishalgad Fort.
The bench directed authorities to consider applications if any, seeking permission for slaughtering urgently on merits.
“We make it clear that we are not ourselves directing that the permission is to be granted and we are not granting that permission ourselves. We are only directing that the application made by the petitioner is to be considered urgently by the authorities in question,” the bench noted.
“At the same time, we express our great displeasure that such applications are repeatedly made at the last minute. Bakri Eid has been on the calendar for the better part of the year,” it added.
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