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The Calcutta High Court connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) directed the West Bengal authorities to instrumentality a determination arsenic per Section 12 of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, regarding the exemption prayed for successful presumption of Eid al-Adha.
A part Bench presided by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul directed that, considering the information that the festival whitethorn instrumentality spot connected May 27 oregon 28, the State shall instrumentality a determination successful this respect wrong 24 hours from the day of connection of this order.
"We are inclined to nonstop that the State shall instrumentality a determination successful the teeth of Section 12 of the Act of 1950 regarding the exemption prayed for by definite petitioners," the tribunal directed.
The petitioners sought an exemption nether Section 12 of the Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, for performing the spiritual rituals during the festival.
Senior lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, appearing for 1 petitioner, submitted earlier the tribunal that the Act was framed successful 1950, erstwhile agriculture was babelike connected home animals, but astatine present, farming is technology-driven.
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He stated that Section 12 of the Act provides for relaxation for spiritual purposes.
Mr. Bhattacharya besides claimed that determination has been a steadfast maturation successful the cattle colonisation implicit the years successful West Bengal.
Opposing the prayers, the State and the Centre's lawyers submitted that the notification imposing definite restrictions was issued arsenic per the provisions of the Act and judgments of this precocious tribunal successful 2018.
The provisions successful the notification telephone for vetting the property and wellness of cattle arsenic per the provisions of law, they stated.
In a notification connected May 13, the West Bengal authorities issued a acceptable of guidelines barring carnal slaughter without a "fit certificate" from authorities and warned of penal enactment if the directions are not followed.
The State besides made it wide that carnal slaughter successful unfastened nationalist places would beryllium "strictly prohibited".
A batch of petitions was filed earlier the precocious tribunal challenging a announcement dated May 13 with respect to the guidelines to beryllium followed oregon compliance of West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950.
Noting that the nationalist announcement of May 13 was issued for implementing an bid passed by this precocious tribunal successful 2018, the part bench, besides comprising Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, said it finds nary ground to enactment oregon acceptable speech the notice.
The tribunal besides asked the State to analyse whether determination exists a due mechanics for the issuance of the indispensable certificate nether the Act of 1950 and the Rules for the slaughter of animals.
The tribunal asked the authorities to besides analyse whether liable officers are successful spot successful the State for issuing specified a certificate and whether the indispensable infrastructure is successful spot successful the full State wherever slaughter tin instrumentality place.
The Bench said that if immoderate deficiency is recovered by the State, "we anticipation and spot the aforesaid shall beryllium cured astatine the earliest."
