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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC directs BMC to consider plea for Eid sacrifice in housing society
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to consider an application for allowing goat sacrifice in a housing society in Ghatkopar on the occasion of Bakrid, which falls on Saturday. The vacation bench of justices Dr Neela Gokhale and Manjusha Deshpande was hearing a petition filed by Abdul Shaik, a co-operative housing society member who alleged that he was denied permission for the sacrificial ritual this year although he had been allowed to do so during the preceding two years. This was contrary to the BMC's policy, which allows the sacrificial ritual in housing societies when there is no slaughter house available within a one-kilometre radius. 'We have been granted permissions to carry out the sacrifices in our housing society for the past two years, and now suddenly they are refusing us permission. Although people from all faiths live in the society, the majority of the population is Muslim,' advocate Kaif Mujawar, Shaik's lawyer, told the court. Mujawar said though there was a mutton shop at a distance of two kilometres from the housing society, it could only carry out the sacrifice of 25 goats. 'The area has a population of more than 50,000 Muslims. The single mutton shop cannot serve the needs of all the residents,' Mujawar said. The BMC opposed the plea, saying although a policy was in place to allow such slaughter in housing societies, the civic body was under no obligation to grant permissions. 'Assuming that permissions were previously granted, we are trying to enforce better civil sense starting this year,' the BMC's counsel told the court. Allowing such slaughter would create problems in waste management, he added. The BMC's counsel also told the court that there were at least three municipal slaughter houses in N ward, where the housing society was located. These slaughter houses were capable of handling the needs of the community and therefore there was no need to entertain the plea, he said. After hearing both sides, the court directed the BMC to consider the application. HT reached out to the BMC for comments, but did not get any response. Plea for mass Namaz at August Kranti Maidan The vacation bench on Friday also directed the state government to decide on a representation seeking permission to perform namaz during Bakrid at the August Kranti Maidan. The court asked social worker Umer Abdul Jabbar Gopalani to approach the government's social and cultural affairs department to seek permission to hold mass prayers at the ground. Gopalani had moved the high court after the Gamdevi police refused permission for mass namaz on the occasion of Bakrid on Saturday, claiming it could cause traffic snarls and law and order issues. Gopalani, however, claimed that the local Muslim community had been using the ground to perform mass namaz during Eid for the past 50 years, and there had never been any law and order situation or traffic problem.
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Plea seeks nod to offer Eid prayers at August Kranti Maidan; HC asks Maharashtra govt to decide
Gopalani had moved the HC after the Gamdevi police station refused permission for the mass namaz. The festival is likely to be celebrated on June 6-7. A vacation bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Manjusha Deshpande asked a social worker, Umer Abdul Jabbar Gopalani, to approach the government's social and cultural affairs department to seek permission to hold mass prayers at the ground. Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Maharashtra government to decide, preferably during the day itself, a representation seeking permission to perform namaz during Bakri Eid at the August Kranti Maidan in south Mumbai. While refusing permission, the police had reasoned that traffic issues and a possible 'law and order' situation might arise due to the use of the public ground for such a religious purpose. The plea claimed that the local Muslim community has been using the ground to perform mass namaz during Eid for the last 50 years, and there has never been any law and order situation or traffic problem. The bench referred to an order passed by the HC in 2006, which said that permission for the use of the August Kranti Maidan can be given only by the Secretary of Maharashtra's Cultural Affairs and Social Justice Department, as the ground is a 'protected monument'. August Kranti Maidan is the place where Mahatma Gandhi had launched the Quit India Movement in 1942. The court asked the petitioner to make a representation to the authority and said the same shall be decided, preferably by Friday itself. PTI SP NR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
