Beef ban petitions to come up for final hearing in HC today

The Bombay High Court has posted for final hearing tomorrow a bunch of petitions challenging the beef ban legislation in Maharashtra.

The petitions would be heard by a bench of Justices Abhay Oka and V L <g data-gr-id="14">Achilya</g> for three days from October 14. In February 2015, the President had granted sanction to Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act. While the Act had banned <g data-gr-id="15">slaughter</g> of cows way back in 1976, the recent amendments prohibited slaughter of bulls and bullocks. According to the amended Act, the sale of bulls and bullocks in the state is an offence punishable with five-year jail term and Rs 10,000 fine. Besides, possession of meat of a cow, bull or bullock is also an offence for which the punishment prescribed is one-year jail and Rs 2,000 fine.