The Madurai bench of Madras high court stayed for four weeks the notification banning sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter. In its interim order, a division bench comprising Justices M V Muralidharan and C V Karthikeyan directed the central government to file its counter in four weeks. More from our correspondent:
Madurai bench of Madras High Court passed the interim order on two public interest litigations filed by Selvagomathy , NGO managing trustee and another by Madurai lawyer. The court ordered notices to the Joint Secretary of Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Union Home Secretary, Chief and Home Secretaries of Tamil Nadu directing them to file their replies within four weeks.
The petitioners sought an interim stay of the operation of Rule 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Regulations of Livestock Markets- Rules notified by the Central government on 23rd of this month. They said that prohibiting the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets amounted to interfering with the right to livelihood of farmers and cattle traders.