The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to pass an urgent order on a plea seeking rigorous enforcement of a Delhi government advisory aimed at addressing the unlawful slaughter of animals during Eid al-Adha.
The plea was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Manoj Jain, who scheduled it to be heard before a regular bench on 3rd July,2023.
“This is not a matter which cannot wait for two days. We are in the last week of vacation… We are not going to entertain this. It is our discretion to decide if it is urgent or not,” the bench stated.
“In our opinion, this matter be taken up for hearing by the roster bench and not by the vacation bench in the last week of vacation. Let it be heard on July 3 by the roster bench, before whom the main petition is pending,” the bench added.
The petitioner, Ajay Gautam, expressed the urgency of the matter, highlighting that approximately five lakh animals may be sacrificed on Thursday during the festival.
The petitioner sought the strict implementation of an advisory issued by the Secretary-cum-Commissioner (Development) of the Delhi Government on June 14. The advisory expressed concerns about the potential rise of illegal animal markets and unauthorized slaughtering in various parts of the national capital on the eve of Eid.
It referred to Rule 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, which prohibits the slaughter of animals within a municipal area except in recognized or licensed slaughterhouses.
Additionally, the advisory referred to the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, which states that camels cannot be slaughtered for food purposes. Furthermore, it emphasized that the Delhi Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 1994, strictly prohibits the slaughter of cows in Delhi.
The advisory requested the authorities to take necessary precautionary measures to enforce animal welfare laws and prevent the illegal killing of animals during Eid-ul-Adha, while also urging strict action against offenders.
