Calcutta HC refuses to intervene in religious festival involving sacrifice of 10,000 goats

Kolkata: A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday refused to intervene over a petition filed against the religious programme involving sacrifice of 10,000 goats on the occasion of Kali Puja at Bolla village in South Dinajpur district West Bengal.

Refusing to intervene in the matter, the division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hirnamay Bhattacharya observed that since the faith of several people are involved with the matter the court cannot intervene in the matter.

The petition was relating to a petition against sacrifice of 10,000 goats on the occasion of Kali Puja. A non-government organisation filed a PIL at the division bench seeking ban on the goat sacrifice and pointed out that the sacrifice takes place without proper license.

The counsel for the petition claimed that the state government should initiate in banning such practice to stop cruelty on animals.

Despite refusing to intervene in the matter and ban the practice as pleaded by the petitioner, the division bench also directed that the Puja committee should abide by the law.

The Puja committee is supposed to give a report to the Calcutta High Court by March next year.

In its observation, the division also referred to the judgement of the SC regarding Jallikattu festival in May this year upholding laws allowing Jallikattu festival. The division bench also referred to the events of cock-fights in certain areas of West Bengal.