J&K beef ban: High Court seeks govt's response

Srinagar, Sept 16: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has given the government a week's time to respond on a petition challenging the ban on beef in the state. The high court has asked the government to respond to the petition within a week.

Last week the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had passed an order banning beef in the state. The order was passed while hearing a petition seeking the imposition of a ban on the sale of beef in the state.

However following the order, no steps were taken in Jammu and Kashmir to ban beef. In fact there were protests and several leaders said that a question of a ban did not arise.

The High Court now seeks to know what the official line of the government of Jammu and Kashmir is on this issue. Last week a division bench comprising Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Rak ordered the ban while hearing a public interest litigation petition.

The public interest litigation (PIL) sought a ban on slaughter of cows and prayed for a ban on sale of beef in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioner, Parimoksh Seth said in his petition that the killing of cows was an offence punishable.

The Bench while considering the contentions made in the petition ordered that there shall be no sale of beef in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The court also instructed the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the police chief and all other police stations to strictly enforce the ban in accordance with law.

OneIndia News