The Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant an urgent hearing to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a complete ban on cow slaughter across the country. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said the matter was not urgent and asked the petitioner to approach the court in due course.
Petition Details
The PIL, filed by one Dharamveer Singh, sought a direction to the Centre and state governments to enact a law prohibiting cow slaughter entirely. The petition argued that cows are revered in Hinduism and their slaughter violates the religious sentiments of a large section of the population.
Court's Response
When the matter was mentioned before the bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, the Chief Justice observed that there were already several petitions pending on the issue. “We have many cases on this. Let it come in the normal course,” the CJI said, indicating that the court would not expedite the hearing.
Legal Context
Cow slaughter is already banned in several states, but there is no uniform national law. The central government has previously stated that it leaves the matter to states to decide. In 2017, the Supreme Court had upheld a Gujarat law banning cow slaughter, but the issue remains contentious.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the matter required urgent intervention as illegal cow slaughter was rampant. However, the court remained unconvinced, noting that the PIL did not present any immediate threat or urgency.
This development comes amid ongoing debates over cow protection and related violence. The court’s refusal to grant an urgent hearing means the PIL will be listed for hearing in the normal course, which could take months.
