Bombay HC permits 4 bldg society members to sacrifice goat

The Bombay high court on Wednesday granted interim relief to four members of DSK Madhuban society and granted them permission to sacrifice goats near the society on Thursday. It also directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officer of ‘L Ward’ and senior police inspector of Saki Naka police station to immediately identify a spot where goats can be slaughtered and also remain present during the process so that there is no law and order problem in the area.

A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai was hearing a petition filed by some members of DSK Madhuban society against some other fellow members seeking directions for the authorities concerned to not grant permission to slaughter goats in the vicinity of the society.

The contention of the petitioner was that the society in 2014 in its annual general meeting had decided that no religious functions would be allowed in the society, including sacrificing goats. However, they said some members are still trying to slaughter goats during Bakri Id and hence they should be restricted from doing so.

During the hearing of this petition, the high court earlier this month had held that respondents could not sacrifice goats at the society without a valid licence.

Though the BMC earlier this month had granted licence to these members, it later changed the condition that the licence is not valid if the police does not give an NOC for sacrificing goats in the society. Since the police had not given an NOC, the licence stood cancelled but on Monday, a holiday bench of the high court held that the receipt issued by the Deonar abattoir is actually licence to sacrifice goats.

Hence the respondents through advocate Mubin Solkar told the court that even if licence issued by the BMC is considered as cancelled, they still have valid licence issued by the Deonar abattoir and hence they should be allowed to sacrifice goats during Bakri Id.

Though there were around 13 persons wanted to sacrifice goats but during hearing the bench found that only four receipts have names and hence granted permission to four persons to sacrifice goats on Thursday between 6 am and 9 am.