Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday sought a clarification from the Maharashtra government on the exact date when the new Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans slaughter of bullocks and bulls, came into force.
A division bench of justices VM Kanade and AR Joshi directed the government to file its reply on Thursday stating the date on which the new law came into force.
The clarification was sought after senior advocate Yusuf Muchala, appearing for Bombay Suburban Beef Dealers' Welfare Association, claimed that even before the notification was issued by the state government, the police had seized cattle from abattoirs and beef dealers.
According to Muchala, on March 3, the High Court while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Bhartiya Gauvansh Rakshan Sanvardhan Parishad seeking enforcement of the law, had directed the city police commissioner and civic body chief to take action against slaughter of bulls and bullocks.
"Two days later when the beef dealers' association approached the High Court against the Act, the government said it was yet to issue a notification in the official gazette.
Only on March 9, the court was informed by the government that a notification has been issued," Muchala argued. He said that after the March 3 order, police had seized cattle from beef dealers.
"If the notification was not issued, then the police could not have taken action," he said. The court then sought reply from the government. Earlier this week, the court had refused to grant relief to beef dealers and said that since the notification had been issued in the official gazette, the authorities were duty bound to take action.
Under the new law, which recently received the President's assent, anyone found to be selling beef or possessing it can be jailed for five years and fined Rs 10,000.
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