The Bombay high court on Friday reserved its order on the bunch of petitions filed challenging the constitutional validity of the law banning slaughter of bulls and bullocks as well as possession of its meat in Maharashtra.
A division bench of Justice A.S. Oka and Justice S.C. Gupte was specially constituted by the Chief Justice Mohit Shah to hear petitions challenging the beef ban. The bench commenced hearing on these petitions last month and reserved its order after the lawyers for petitioners filed rejoinder on Friday.
The court had heard arguments from petitioners’ lawyers, then the state and later from interveners supporting and opposing the ban and when arguments of all sides were over the petitioners’ lawyer wanted to file rejoinder on these arguments, which was done on Friday.
The President granted assent to Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act last February. While the original Act of 1976 banned slaughter of cows, the amendment prohibits slaughter of bulls and bullocks as well as possession, import and export of beef or selling cow progeny for purpose of slaughter.
Meanwhile, with the permission of the court, advocate Ashutosh Kumbh Koni also raised a question on what the procedure would be if the animal dies of natural or accidental death or even procures a contagious disease, since animal slaughter and possession of its meat is banned.
