The Bombay HC was taken by surprise recently when it came to know that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had granted online permissions to lawyers to slaughter goats inside the high court’s courtrooms. As a result, the court had to stay BMC permissions.

The incident came to the notice of the bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Riyaz L Chagla when it was dealing with the petition filed by a NGO Jiv Maitri Trust challenging BMC’s decision to grant online permissions for animal slaughter ahead of Bakrid.

The bench observed that “permission was granted to one Neil Armstrong permitting him to slaughter five goats in Room  No 13  of  this  Court. One more permission was granted to one Shaun Vaz to slaughter five goats in Room No. 13”.

The bench then took note of Rule 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 which lays down that no person shall slaughter any animal within a municipal area except in a slaughter house recognized or licenced by the concerned authority.

—India Legal Bureau