Tripura High Court bans animal sacrifice in state

Source:- eastmojo.com

Agartala: The Tripura High Court (HC), after hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed on Friday, directed the Tripura government to immediately stop the sacrifice of animals in all temples within the precincts of the state.

The divisional bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice Sanjoy Karol and Justice Arindam Lodh was hearing the PIL filed by a retired judge of Tripura District and Sessions Court Subhash Bhattacharjee.

The court, in its order, said, “No person shall sacrifice such animals within the precincts of any of the temples within the state of Tripura.”

The government of Tripura has proposed development of Devi Tripureswari temple as a favourite international tourist destination. People of all beliefs and faiths are likely to visit in large numbers.

“Anyone of the devotees desirous of offering any animal out of personal faith, belief or desire, may do so, but, shall take back the animal and under no circumstance, any activity of animal sacrifice shall be permitted to be carried out,” the order read.

The court also suggested that the government can earmark land for opening shelter home for rearing such livestock.

“The chief secretary of Tripura shall also ensure compliance of the order. Also, he shall ensure that at least in two temples, i.e, Devi Tripureswari temple and Chatur Das Devata temple in Tripura, where act of animal sacrifice is carried out profusely, CCTV cameras are installed forthwith, every month he shall have a soft copy of such video recording placed on this file,” the court order further read.

“Such video recording of the temple(s) shall form part of the record of the present petition and shall be constituted as part of the record of the appeal preferred, if any, by any person, including the state,” the court said.

The district magistrates and collectors of all the districts were also directed to take all measures of educating and sensitising the general public.