A day before Bakrid or Eid-al-Adha festival celebration, in which people of the Muslim community sacrifice animal, the Bombay High Court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ensure that no illegal slaughtering of animals takes place at a residential colony in south Mumbai. Bakrid is celebrated today (Thursday).
Licence for slaughtering given by civic body
In a special urgent hearing held after the regular court hours, a division bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Jitendra Jain said slaughtering can be permitted at Nathani Heights society only if licence is granted by the civic body. "In the event, the Municipal Corporation has not issued a licence to undertake slaughtering of animals at the said place, the officers of the Municipal Corporation with the aid of the police personnel shall take appropriate action in accordance with law to prevent slaughtering of animals proposed for tomorrow," the court said.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by one Haresh Jain, a resident of the society, seeking complete ban on slaughtering of animals there. Advocate Joel Carlos, appearing for the BMC, said a complete ban cannot be issued.
Carlos said the civic body's officers would inspect the society premises and if there is any violation then appropriate action would be taken. The bench said in its order that in the event an action is required to be taken then the police station concerned shall provide appropriate police assistance to the officers of the municipal corporation in the event an action is required to be taken.
The development comes hours after an uproar erupted in a society in Mumbai Central region of the metropolitan city over the issue of keeping goats within the premises ahead of the Bakrid.
The incident took place at the posh Nathani Heights Society in the Mumbai Central area. According to sources, as many as 50 to 60 goats were kept on the 7th floor of the building. The residents strongly opposed the presence of goats in society.
A complaint was lodged at Nagpada Police as well as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) office following which they were shifted from there to a safer location.
(With PTI inputs)
