SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Jammu has turned down a petition seeking the ban of the animal sacrifices in Jammu and Kashmir, reports appearing in the media said.
The court rejected the petition that lacked “any merit”.
“Which practice of slaughtering or sacrificing animals is legal or illegal depends upon the traditions and customs of a particular religion and the place of worship. It is a matter of evidence which cannot be appreciated in the exercise of discretionary jurisdiction,” a bench comprising the Chief Justice PankajMithal and Justice Sindhu Sharma observed, insisting the courts were “usually slow in interfering in religious matters or with sentiments based upon religion or on the practice of any community”.
The plea was made by Tek Chand a resident of Bani (Kathua), who identified himself a “public-spirited pujari of a Hindu temple”. Founder of the rightwing group, Ikkjut Jammu, Ankur Sharma, represented him. The petition had invoked Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 to defend his plea.
“The practice of killing animals is sufficiently taken care of by the Act,” the court observed. “As such, there was no need for issuing any further direction prohibiting the practice, if any, of killing animals and it is left to the executive to apply the Act strictly.”
Interestingly the court has said the petitioner failed to disclose how he was a “public-spirited person”. The court order said that Section 28 of the said Act provides that nothing contained in this Act shall render it an offence to kill any animal in a manner required by the religion of any community.
