The Bombay High Court on Monday expressed reservations over imposing a nine-day ban on animal slaughter during the Jain community’s Paryushan Parv, warning that such a move could lead to similar demands from other religious groups during their festivals.
A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing a petition filed by a Jain trust challenging the 2024 orders passed by the municipal corporations of Mumbai, Nashik, and Pune, which permitted only a one-day ban on slaughter during Paryushan last year. The trust has sought a complete nine-day prohibition from August 21, citing Jainism’s foundational principle of Ahimsa (non-violence).
The court, however, voiced concerns over the wider implications of such an order. “It shouldn’t happen that tomorrow every other religion also makes similar demands. You (Jain community) will get an order for nine days for Paryushan Parv, and then some other community will come forward and seek similar orders for the Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festival,” the bench observed.
Senior advocate Darius Khambata, representing the trust, argued that last year’s BMC order had acknowledged Mumbai’s diverse population and allowed only a one-day ban. He contended that the Nashik and Pune civic bodies issued similar orders without any justification, and the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation did not issue any order at all.
The court also questioned the statutory basis for such a nine-day ban and noted that the state government already prohibits slaughter on 15 days annually, including one day for Paryushan. It remarked that any further restriction may require careful balancing of the rights and dietary habits of various communities.
Highlighting the practical implications, the bench noted that several municipal corporations around Mumbai lack their own slaughterhouses and rely on Mumbai’s Deonar facility.
Ultimately, the court directed the four civic bodies—Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Mira Bhayandar—to reconsider the Jain trust’s representation and take a decision by August 18, while refraining from issuing a blanket direction itself.
