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SC stays Tripura HC ban on animal sacrifice in temples

By Correspondent

AGARTALA, Nov, 9 - The Supreme Court has stayed the order of the High Court of Tripura that put a blanket ban on animal sacrifice in all temples of the State, especially in the Mata Tripureshwari temple at Udaipur and the Chaturdash Devata temple in old Agartala.

The apex court stayed the ban and permitted continuation of animal sacrifice with certain conditions which will be spelt out in the detailed order, said Advocate General Arun Kanti Bhowmik here today. The stay order was passed by the Supreme Court on Friday.

In the stay order, Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Nariman has also asked the State Government to follow guidelines to prevent cruelty against animals.

On September 27, a division bench of the High Court of Tripura banned animal sacrifice in all temples and specially under the sponsorship of the Government. Tripura High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Arindam Lodh had ruled that the Chief Secretary would monitor the process and the district magistrates of Gomati and West Tripura would ensure execution of the ban by installing CCTVs.

The High Court order triggered a major controversy, and the State Government stated that it would move the apex court.

Accordingly, a special leave petition was filed in the Supreme Court, invoking Article 25 (1) of the Constitution and Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. However, it is not clear whether the stay order means clearance for government sponsorship of animal sacrifice in the Mata Tripureshwari and Chaturdash Devata temples, that had been going on till the High Court ban, as per Tripura�s merger agreement with the Government of India signed on October 15, 1949.

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