07 July,2025 05:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bombay High Court. File Pic.
The Bombay High Court on Monday questioned its authority to prohibit the slaughter of animals during the nine-day 'Paryushan Parv' of the Jain community. The court also pondered whether such an order would set a precedent, potentially leading to other communities seeking similar bans during their festivals, such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri, reported news agency PTI.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing a petition filed by a Jain community trust.
The trust challenged the 2024 orders issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as well as civic bodies in Nashik and Pune, which had prohibited animal slaughter for only one day during Paryushan last year. The Jain community is now seeking a ban on slaughter for the entire nine-day period, starting August 21.
The trust emphasised various aspects of Jain beliefs, including Ahimsa (non-violence), arguing that animal slaughter during Paryushan Parv would be detrimental to the tenets of Jainism, reported PTI.
The court subsequently raised questions about its power to issue such an extensive order.
"It shouldn't happen that tomorrow every other religion also makes similar demands. You (Jain community) will get an order for nine days for Paryushan Parv, and then some other community will come forward and seek similar orders for the Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festival," the court enquired, highlighting concerns about potential precedent.
The bench was informed that the Maharashtra government has already notified 15 days in a year when slaughter is prohibited, including one specific day for Paryushan Parv. The court then considered whether it could intervene in a policy decision, stating its lack of awareness regarding the exact percentages of vegetarian and non-vegetarian populations within the state.
The bench also noted that Mumbai is surrounded by other municipal corporations that do not possess their own slaughterhouses and, therefore, rely on the Deonar slaughterhouse in the metropolis.
"Under which statutory obligation should slaughterhouses be ordered to remain closed for nine days?" the court asked, probing the legal basis for such a broad prohibition.
Ultimately, the bench ordered the BMC, Nashik, Pune, and Mira Bhayandar municipal corporations to decide on the trust's representation seeking a nine-day prohibition on slaughter and to provide their decision by August 18.
Senior counsel Darius Khambata, representing the trust, informed the court that last year, the BMC, while allowing a one-day ban on slaughter, had justified its decision by stating that Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city with a significant non-Jain population whose daily diet includes non-vegetarian food, according to PTI.
Khambata further pointed out, "The Nashik and Pune civic bodies have not assigned any reason behind their order. The Mira Bhayandar Corporation has not even bothered to pass an order last year."
Moreover, the bench has directed the trust to resubmit their representation to the four civic bodies for a reconsideration of the decision.
(With inputs from PTI)
