U'khand HC asks govt to reply to contempt petition on open slaughter of animals

The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday issued notices to government officials, including the Urban Development secretary, asking them to file their reply on a contempt petition alleging continued slaughter of animals in public view in Haridwar district despite a ban.

The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday issued notices to government officials, including the Urban Development secretary, asking them to file their reply on a contempt petition alleging continued slaughter of animals in public view in Haridwar district despite a ban. Issuing the notices, Justice Sharad Sharma gave the officials three weeks to file their responses.

The contempt petition alleges that despite the absence of licensed slaughterhouses in Haridwar district, animals are being slaughtered openly in full public view by meat sellers in connivance with officials. The petition says the practice continues in violation of the high court's 2018 and 2019 orders banning the open slaughter of animals. The high court had ordered that animals can only be slaughtered in licensed slaughterhouses and not in the open on the roadside.

Apart from the Urban Development secretary, officials to whom notices have been sent are the district magistrate (Haridwar), sub-divisional magistrate (Roorkee), food safety officer, Haridwar and executive officer of Nagar Palika Parishad Manglore..