Delhi High Court seeks response on illegal poultry slaughtering

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Delhi government and others to file a response on a plea seeking a ban on illegal slaughter of poultry birds in the national capital including at the Ghazipur Murga Mandi.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board, Department of Animal Husbandry of the Delhi government, Delhi Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other authorities to file a response and listed the matter for April 24 as the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a plea filed by animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi, who alleged that there is indiscriminate violation of animal rights and blatant abuse of animal welfare laws in Ghazipur Murga Mandi.

Maulekhi's counsel Priyanka Bangari told the court that the poultry birds are openly slaughtered in the Ghazipur market without obtaining any licence for slaughter and in complete violation of the law.

The petitioner has requested the court to issue a direction to the Commissioner of the Food Safety Department to stop illegal slaughter of poultry birds in any other place in the national capital and that all such slaughter is only done in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Licence and Registration Regulation.

The counsel also requested for the formation of a committee for conducting weekly inspections at the Ghazipur Murga Mandi in order to ensure that animals are not treated in contravention of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The petition alleged that the market is operating without consent under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and also violates the Environment Protection Act as it is operating without obtaining environment clearance.

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