Himachal HC banned animal sacrifice at any place of public religious worship

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh on 1 September 2014 banned animal sacrifice to appease deities. It ruled that no person throughout the state shall sacrifice any animal in any place of public religious worship.

As per the order the banned area also includes all lands and building near such places of religious worship that are ordinarily connected for religious purposes or in any ceremony/Yagya/congregation or procession connected with any religious worship in a public street.

The High Court division bench comprised of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Sureshwar Thakur issued its direction after hearing petitions seeking ban on inhuman practice of animal sacrifice. It also directed all Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, sub-divisional officers and station house officers to comply with these directions punctually and faithfully.

The bench in its direction said that compassion is basic tenets in all the religions and the practice of animal sacrifice is a social evil and is required to be curbed.