The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday directed the state government to submit a compliance report within four weeks on its enforcement of a 2016–17 court order that bans the slaughter of animals without medical checks and proper slaughterhouse facilities.

The division bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Subhash Upadhyay issued the order while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Monika, a resident of Dehradun, reported TOI.

The petitioner alleged that while large animals are being slaughtered at designated abattoirs, poultry and fish are routinely being killed at local shops without veterinary examination or regulatory oversight.

“Fish and chickens are being openly slaughtered without medical examination or a slaughterhouse,” the plea stated, adding that food inspectors were failing to conduct routine inspections. The PIL further claimed that even sick animals were being slaughtered, in direct violation of orders issued by both the High Court and the Supreme Court, as well as applicable municipal laws.

The court took serious note of these allegations, questioning the apparent inaction of Dehradun Nagar Nigam and the broader municipal framework in enforcing public health and hygiene regulations. It instructed the state government to file a detailed compliance report clarifying its adherence to the original judicial directives aimed at regulating animal slaughter practices.

The bench said the next hearing in the matter will be listed only after the compliance report is submitted.

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