The Supreme Court of India [official website] on Friday rejected a public interest litigation seeking an all-India ban on cow slaughter. The order sought a total ban on the slaughter of all cattle including calves or a writ of mandamus ordering the enactment of an uniform policy for banning the slaughtering and preservation of cattle. The court stated [India.com report] it will not interfere with state laws on the killing of cattle. The court also noted that there are already laws prohibiting the illegal interstate transportation of cattle.

The issue of cow slaughtering has been a major issue in India. In August of last year, approximately 36 beef dealers associations across Maharashtra filed a petition in the top court challenging the ban on cow slaughter [India.com report]. The petitioners in the case reasoning with the court that cattle after the age of 16 are too old for other activities and therefore should be permitted to be put to slaughter. Earlier that same year, the state government banned the slaughtering of bulls, bullocks and cows through an amendment to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act [text]. In May the Bombay High Court [official website] upheld that provision.