The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu chief secretary and director general of police to make sure that no cow slaughter takes place in public places or any non-designated areas during Bakrid celebrations on May 28.
A division bench comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan said authorities could allow animal slaughter only in officially approved slaughterhouses or locations specifically designated under the law.
The court made it clear that people could not slaughter animals at any place of their choice.
“Slaughter cannot be done in any place you want…The question of carrying out slaughter in a non-designated place does not arise at all,” the court observed.
The bench also said state authorities remained “duty-bound to enforce the applicable statutory provisions.”
Petition Filed By Coimbatore Resident
The court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by K Surya, a resident of Coimbatore. In his plea, the petitioner alleged that local authorities had arranged facilities for slaughtering cows and calves in areas that were not officially notified as slaughterhouses ahead of Bakrid, also known as Eid-ul-Zuha.
Surya claimed that officials had allowed the setting up of “temporary sheds” for slaughter activities. He further stated that he had submitted a representation on May 18 to the local police and district collectorate, asking them to stop cow slaughter in public places and rescue cows allegedly brought for illegal slaughter.
However, according to the petitioner, authorities did not respond to his complaint.
Court Questions Temporary Slaughter Sheds
During the hearing, the Coimbatore police filed an affidavit before the High Court. In the affidavit, officials said they had identified certain “temporary places” where slaughter could take place.
The court questioned this stand and asked how temporary sheds could become legal slaughtering sites when Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules clearly stated that slaughter must happen only in designated places.
The bench also remarked that police officials did not have the authority to independently decide which places could function as slaughter areas.
Court Refers To Earlier Orders
The High Court noted that the petitioner’s representation and wording in the writ petition were “not happily worded.” Still, the bench said this would not stop the court from examining the main legal issue raised in the case.
The court also referred to a 2020 Division Bench order and a Government Order issued in 1976 related to cow slaughter laws in Tamil Nadu.
It clarified that Tamil Nadu law does not completely ban cow slaughter under all circumstances. However, the bench said authorities must strictly satisfy the legal conditions laid down under the law before permitting any slaughter activity.