Tamil Nadu Challenges Madras High Court Order on Complete Cow Slaughter Ban in Supreme Court

Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court Against High Court Verdict

The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court seeking relief against the Madras High Court’s order that effectively prohibited the slaughter of cows and calves across the state, including during Bakrid and other occasions. The state has requested the apex court to set aside the ruling and grant an interim stay on its implementation.

The appeal has been filed through the Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare. Senior advocate Jayashree Narasimhan submitted the petition on behalf of the state government.

According to the petition, the High Court went beyond the scope of the original case. The matter before the court was limited to preventing cow slaughter in public places in Coimbatore during Bakrid. However, the final order expanded the issue and resulted in what the state describes as a complete ban on cow slaughter throughout Tamil Nadu.

The government has also argued that existing laws, including the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998, and related regulations, provide for the regulation of cow slaughter rather than an absolute prohibition.

The appeal further states that the High Court unnecessarily examined religious issues, including whether cow sacrifice is an essential practice in Islam. According to the state, these observations were unrelated to the original petition and should not have formed part of the judgment.

With its appeal, the Tamil Nadu government has urged the Supreme Court to overturn the High Court’s decision and suspend the operation of the order until the matter is fully heard.