HC allows slaughter of goats on a building terrace on Bakrid

Mumbai, Sep 13 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has heldthat city residents are entitled to sacrifice goats on theoccasion of Bakrid, subject to terms and conditions laid downin the licences obtained by them from local authorities. A bench of Justices S J Kathawala and S C Gupteobserved this yesterday while rejecting the plea of tworesidents of a cooperative housing society in South Mumbai whoopposed the slaughter of goats in the building premises bytheir three neighbours. The trio had obtained licences from the civic body toslaughter 10 goats on the occasion of Bakrid. The order was issued in the judges’ chambers as the HCwas closed yesterday and today. The bench observed that the residents of the building,Simla House at Napean Sea Road, had obtained licence andpermission from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation toslaughter goats and thus, they are entitled to do so. However, they would have to strictly abide by theconditions imposed in the licences. The judges said they would not be able to restrainauthorities to stop issuing licences for slaughtering animalson Bakrid as people have a right to practice their religion,but such acts would be subject to rules and conditionsmentioned in the licences. However, the court directed that the goats should besacrificed on the terrace of the building and asked thelicence holders to strictly follow the conditions. The petitioners argued that slaughtering of animals inthe building premises was unhygienic and this practice shouldnot be allowed when there are slaughter houses in the city. The lawyer for the respondents, Mubin Solkar, showedthe court licences issued by the civic body to slaughtergoats. He also assured the court that they would abide by allthe conditions mentioned in the licences. He denied allegations made by other residents that theanimals would be sacrificed at the entrance of the building. After perusing the licences, the bench observed thatthe licences were issued in the names of the residents who hadapplied for sacrificing goats in the building. Only one of thelicence was issued in the name of the building. "Though we are not happy with the manner in which theparticulars are mentioned by the authorities on the licences,not mentioning description of the place of slaughter, we aresatisfied that the same are issued to the respondents andpertain to slaughtering of goats," the bench said. Accordingly, the judges allowed the residents toslaughter 10 goats in the building and rejected the plea oftwo others to stop the practice. PTI SVS GK GKBAS