Punjab & Haryana High Court Stays Order To Close Down Private Slaughter Houses/Meat Shops In Ambala During Jain Festival

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the decision of the official authorities to close down private slaughterhouses/meat shops in Ambala from August 24 to September 1 during the Jain festival- 'Paryushan Parv'.

The bench of Justice Sudhir Mittal stayed the order and sought the reply of the Haryana Government on the issue and posted the matter on August 29, 2022.

Essentially, the department of Urban Local Bodies wrote to all deputy commissioners, commissioners of municipal corporations and executive officers, and secretaries of the municipal councils and committees in Haryana ordering the closure of all meat shops and slaughterhouses.

Challenging this decision, the owners of the Poultry Farms of Ambala moved the Court claiming that the move would affect the constitutional rights of the general public apart from violating the right of the petitioners to carry on their trade, business, or vocation.

Before the Court, the petitioners submitted a request was made by a private individual to the department of Urban Local Bodies, Haryana, Panchkula to close meat shops in the state of Haryana from 24.08.2022 to 01.09.2022 on account of Paryushan Parav (Jain festival).

On the basis of the same, it was further submitted, that the Director, Urban and Local Bodies Haryana (Respondent No. 2) requested the Deputy Commissioners, and concerned officers of local bodies to direct the closure of meat shops during the aforesaid period.

Against this backdrop, the Petitioners have argued that the said letter has been construed as directions from the government and is being implanted to close meat shops for 9 days and therefore, the action is without the authority of law, arbitrary, and perpetuated by malice in law, in so much it fails to take into account the violation of rights to livelihood and the right to carry on trade, business, and profession.

It has further been argued that the decision also failed to take into account the material adverse effect on business establishments of Petitioners, who will continue to face losses and incur operational cost during this period. Aggrieved by the arbitrary action of the state and its instrumentality, the petitioners have moved the petition.

For petitioners, Senior Advocate Akshay Bhan appeared, along with Advocates Amandeep Singh Talwar and Abhijeet Singh Rawaley.

Case title - Rajpal Poultry Farm v. State of Haryana

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