Asking the Maharashtra government why animals like goats do not figure in its ban on cattle slaughter, the Bombay High Court today mooted a licence policy by which import of meat of cows and bulls slaughtered outside the state can be permitted.

A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and A R Joshi was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging a provision under section 5 (d) of the recently amended Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act which bans possession and consumption of meat of animals like cows and bulls.