Beef possession not a criminal offence, rules Bombay HC

Mumbai, May 6: The Bombay High Court on Friday pronounced the judgement on a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the beef ban in Maharashtra.

According to news agency, the Bombay HC has passed order, which says that beef ban will continue in Maharashtra.

A ban on cow and bullock slaughtering to continue but beef possession (if brought from outside Maharashtra) is not a criminal offence, ruled the HC.

A division bench of Justices AS Oka and SC Gupte had reserved the ruling in January after hearing the arguments.

In February 2015, the President granted assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act. While the original 1976 Act banned slaughter of cows, the amendment prohibited, in addition, slaughter of bulls and bullocks and possession and consumption of their meat.

As per the Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail-term and Rs 10,000 fine while possession of meat of bull or bullock attracts one-year in jail and Rs 2,000 fine.

During the hearing, the HC had refused to grant interim stay to the provisions penalising the possession of beef.

Arif Kapadia, a city resident, and noted lawyer Harish Jagtiani had challenged the provision which says mere possession of beef anywhere in the state is a crime.

This is arbitrary and undermines the cosmopolitan nature of the city which houses people from all religions and communities, they had contended.

Other petitions had been filed by Vishal Sheth, a lawyer, and Shaina Sen, a student, contending that the ban on beef violates fundamental rights of citizens.

Comments

Rat poisoning should also be banned because it is vehicle of so called God Ganesh. if everyone kills rat Ganesh will have no vehicle to ride to save and serve his devotees.

Why not other items like chicken, pork, fish and mutton not touched by the law. All lives are equally important but why this special category. Then all should be asked to be vegetarians

One thing which Fadnavis should have concentrated is to make possession of cow and bulls attractive proposition to holders rather than go for ban on slaughter. this he would have achieved by making green every where, make water available and feed available, provide effective cost recovery of produce .. instead by banning he is burdening people who possess assets as cattle more marginalized and economically poorer .. his vision and his party''s vision is self centered and lacks focus of economics but working against poor, marginalized farmers, dalits and minorities,,, classic case of intolerance, stupidity and religious bigotry,, he deserves to be sacked ..

Beef ban is on possession too. only beef procured from outside maharashtra allowed.but that we will handle by other

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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