Maha beef ban: Bombay HC to hear plea for permitting slaughter of bulls on 17 July

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday posted to on 17 July a petition seeking direction to the Maharashtra government to permit slaughter of old bulls and bullocks and transport their meat.The petition filed by Ansari Mohammed Umar (who is into the business of selling and purchasing bulls and bullocks) and Shaikh Sadik Babulal (a butcher) challenging the recently introduced Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act was mentioned before a division bench of justices VM Kanade and BP Colabawalla.[caption id="attachment_2344014" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. Reuters[/caption]The bench, while posting the petition for hearing on 17 July, just before Eid-ul-Fitr, observed that it had in April refused to stay the ban imposed on import and export of beef under the Act.Under the recent amendment in the Act, the government has banned slaughter of bulls and bullocks and export and import of their meat. Earlier, only slaughter of cows was banned under the Act."We are not challenging the ban imposed on slaughtering of cows. We are challenging the ban on slaughter of bulls and bullocks. The amended Act is against Article 19 of the Constitution of India," the petition said.The duo has prayed for the prohibition on slaughter of bulls and bullocks, which are not suitable for milching, breeding or draught or any agricultural purpose, to be stayed."We want a direction to the state government, the police and the management of Deonar abattoir to permit slaughter of bulls and bullocks," it said.The petition has also sought police protection to those who are in the business of slaughter of these animals and also to those who transport their meat.PTI