SC Judge recuse herself from hearing beef plea

NPnew24 Online Mumbai: Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra recuses herself from hearing a plea challenging a Bombay High court order which decriminalized (legalization) the hold of beef if animals slaughtered outside Maharashtra on Monday.

Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra recuses from hearing the Maharashtra beef ban case, as she had represented a party earlier as a lawyer. pic.twitter.com/W9TMvcBSmF

— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2019

“The petition will be listed before an appropriate bench by Chief justice Ranjan Gogoi for referring the entire matter to a constitution bench” said the Justice A.M Sapre, head of the bench.

On her recusing Justice Indu Malhotra stated that, she had earlier represented a party in the case as a lawyer.

On May, 2017 Bombay high court upheld the ban on slaughter of bulls and bullocks imposed by the Maharashtra government and also decriminalized the hold of beef in case the animal were slaughter outside the state.

The state government had filed a plea “the restriction imposed by the 1995 Act on possession of flesh of cow, bull or bullock could not be interpreted and concluded to be an infringement of ‘right to privacy’.” The plea is challenging the court’s order to decriminalize the possession of beef if carried in from outside the state nd seeking restoration of the law.

Senior Advocate Indira Jaising represents 30 individuals from Maharashtra. This 30 individuals are led by activist Swatija Paranjpe, who have demanded for the lifting of a ban on beef and legalize the food habits.