SC Refuses Urgent Listing of Plea Seeking Enforcement of Anti-Cow Slaughter Laws Ahead of Bakrid

May 26, 2026 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined urgent listing of a petition seeking strict enforcement of anti-cow slaughter laws ahead of Eid al-Adha (Bakrid), scheduled to be observed on May 28.

The matter was orally mentioned before a Vacation Bench comprising Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi by Advocate Barun Kumar Sinha. The counsel urged the Court to take up the plea immediately so that interim directions could be issued before the festival if the Bench found merit in the matter.

The Bench, however, refused to accord urgent listing, observing that the petition had been filed at the last moment and did not warrant priority hearing.

The petition was filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, former vice-president of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. It sought directions for strict enforcement of anti-cow slaughter laws and regulatory mechanisms governing cattle slaughter in different States during the Bakrid period.

The plea also requested the Court to issue directions for stricter implementation of existing statutory frameworks regulating slaughterhouses and transportation of cattle. In addition, it sought formulation of uniform operational guidelines for slaughterhouses to ensure compliance with applicable legal provisions.

Anti-cow slaughter laws in India are primarily governed by State legislations enacted under constitutional subjects relating to agriculture, animal preservation and public order. Several States, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan, have enacted stringent prohibitions on slaughter of cows and certain categories of cattle, prescribing penal consequences for violations.

The issue of regulation of animal slaughter ahead of Bakrid had also recently come up before the Calcutta High Court, which declined interim relief against a notification issued by the Government of West Bengal for implementation of provisions under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950.