Beef ban in J&K: SC to hear plea against 2 HC orders on Monday

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to hear a plea by the J&K government against two “conflicting” orders of the High Court, pertaining to the slaughter of bovine animals and enforcement of a bar on beef sale in the state, claiming that the orders were being “misused” to disturb peace and communal harmony, on Monday.

While the Jammu Bench of the J&K high court had ordered the enforcement of the bar on the sale of beef in the state under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), the Srinagar Bench has agreed to hear a separate plea, seeking the scrapping of the provision that bars slaughter of bovine animals.

Highlighting the inconsistency in the two orders, senior advocate Amarendra Sharan, appearing for the state government, mentioned the matter before a Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu and sought an urgent hearing. “List it on Monday,” the Bench, which also comprised Justice Arun Mishra, said.