HC stays order on closure of meat shops in Ambala during Jain festival of Paryurshan

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Chandigarh, August 25

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed orders passed by the state authorities directing the closure of meat shops and slaughterhouses in Ambala district for nine days during the Jain festival of Paryurshan.

The direction by Justice Sudhir Mittal came on a petition filed against the State of Haryana and other respondents by Rajpal Poultry Farm and other petitioners through senior counsel Akshay Bhan with counsel Amandeep Singh Talwar and Abhijeet Singh Rawaley.

The petitioners, among other things, were seeking directions for restraining the respondents from shutting down the slaughterhouses/meat shops on account of the ensuing festival between August 24 and September 1. The action, the petitioners contended, was arbitrary and illegal.

Appearing before the Bench, Bhan relied upon the judgment in the case of “Bombay Mutton Dealer Association versus the State of Maharashtra” before submitting that private slaughterhouses/meat shops could not be asked to close down during the festival period as it would affect the constitutional rights of the general public apart from violating the right of the petitioners to carry on their trade, business or vocation.

Issuing a notice of motion, Justice Mittal fixed August 29 as the next date of hearing.