After HC ban, Himachal Prasesh cops lodge first animal sacrifice case

SHIMLA: With the registration of the first case of animal sacrifice in Mandi district on October 16, people hosting dhams (community feasts) in Himachal Pradesh will think twice before serving mutton at these social occasions.
Devi Singh, a resident of Shalani village under Karsog sub division of Mandi district, who had slaughtered four goats for the feast hosted by him on October 13, found himself entangled in a sacrifice row.The fact that he had invited a deity before the feast led another resident to the erroneous conclusion that an animal sacrifice had been made and he lodged a complaint against Devi Singh on October 16. A case was registered against Devi under the Cruelty to Animal Act at Karsog police station.
It is a common practice to slaughter a goat at home for dhams, but this case will make the resident chary of doing so.
Dham is an important part of Himachal Pradesh's social milieu and is organized to mark marriages, birthdays, religious ceremonies, electoral victory or on someone's death. Mutton generally figures on the dham menu, but since buying it from a shop is costly, a majorty of the people prefer to slaughter an animal at home. However, with the high court ban looming over the people's heads, slaughtering a goat at home is fraught with the risk of someone linking it to animal sacrifice and going to the police, sources said.
As Himachal Pradesh high court has made it clear that deputy commissioners and superintendents of police would be held responsible for any animal or bird sacrifices, the Himachal police immediately swung into action on receiving a complaint against Devi Singh. However, when DSP Sundernagar Kulbhushan Verma recorded the statement of the villagers, it came out that the goats were slaughtered after the deity had left and there was no animal sacrifice. But the damage was done
Mandi SP Mohit Chawla said, "The villager admitted that four goats were slaughtered for the dham. It is a common practice in the state and he was not aware that it would be linked to sacrifice."