Jaffna High courts issues permanent prohibition to animal sacrifices in Hindu temples

The Jaffna High Court has issued permanent prohibition on animal sacrifices in Hindu within the area of Jurisdiction of the High Court. The court has pointed out that it is an abuse of power to grant permission for animal sacrifices under meat stalls Act.

The Saiva Maha Sabai had filed an appeal to prohibit animal sacrifices in the Temples within the jurisdiction of Jaffna High court. The hearing of the case is being held from April 2016 before High Court Judge M.Ilancheliyan. An interim injunction was also delivered on the Animal sacrifices.

Instead of citing the administrators of the temples where sacrifices are offered as respondents, Public Health Inspectors, MOH and Pradeshiya Sabai were cited as respondents. However the Kavunawattha Narasimmar temple filed a intervening application appealing to add them also as a party in respondents, and placed the arguments on behalf of them before the Courts.

Plaintiffs submitted that the sacrifices in Kavunawathai temple is contravening Meat Stall Act, Religious rights act and Animal Sacrifice Act. The respondents submitted that prohibiting animal sacrifice, that is being held as a traditional worship method is breaching their Right of worship.

The Court had rejected their argument saying that  sacrificing animals in front of hundreds of devotees amounts to an act of animal slaughter, and ordered that approval for religious festivals should be granted under Religious Festivals Act.

If anyone breaches the order a complaint could be made in the police and the offender prosecuted in court, the court further ordered.