CHENNAI: Imposing a ban on camel slaughtering, the Madras high court on Thursday said slaughtering of camel cannot be permitted in Tamil Nadu in view of the Central Government’s stand and also provisions of the Central Act. “We are thus of the view that the matter should be set-down for final hearing but in the meantime in view of the stand of the central government and the provisions of Central Act, including Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, we cannot have a situation where such camel slaughtering is permitted especially in the absence of any facility for it”, said a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R.Mahadevan while passing further interim orders on a batch of petitions filed for and against camel slaughtering.
After perusing the affidavits filed by Union and Tamil Nadu governments, the judges said slaughtering of camels cannot be the same as the slaughtering of goats. There was thus no facility even in Tamil Nadu for proper slaughtering of camels, were it to be permitted. The mode and manner of transport of animals has also been set out by referring to different rules, but there were also rules applicable under different provisions under different central enactments, which would have to be taken into consideration, including Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
“The affidavit now states that animals even when transported should be given adequate rest, food and water. The examples which earlier came before us are both of camels that were brought by transportation and by foot”, the Bench said. Referring to the state Government’s stand that any area can be declared as a slaughter house by Chennai Corporation Commissioner under Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, the Bench said “This, however, cannot be said to supersede the Central Act-Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act”.
The Centre submitted that section 28 of PCA rules does not support animal sacrifice. The Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations already prohibited camel meat as food.
