Will not interfere in cattle sale ban: HC
Says rule doesn’t deprive people of right to eat beef
Kerala High Court has refused to interfere with the central rule on the sale of cattle in markets, observing that the new rule neither violates the Constitution nor deprives people of their right to eat beef.
The court on Wednesday observed that there is absolutely no ban on slaughtering cattle. There was only a restriction on the sale of cattle and the new rule made it clear that the cattle should not be sold for the purpose of slaughter at animal markets, it said
The rules framed by the Centre did not stop one from selling cattle for slaughter outside the animal market.
A division bench, presided over Chief Justice Navniti Prasad, was disposing of the PIL filed by Youth Congress general secretary T.G. Sunil, seeking to quash the notification on restrictions on cattle sale for slaughter.
The state government produced in the court the Madras High Court verdict staying the controversial notification.
“Can’t the sale and slaughter be done at home or on rooftops,” the court asked. The bench also dismissed as withdrawn the PIL challenging the Centre’s ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets.across the country under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017.
Meanwhile, a single judge on Wednesday reserved his order on petitions filed by Kozhikode District Meat Workers Association and a meat trader in Kochi challenging the constitutional validity of the rule prohibiting the sale of cattle for slaughter.