TR-ANIMAL-SACRIFICE

Despite ban, animal sacrifice at Tripura temple continues
    Agartala, Sep 30 (PTI) Despite the Tripura High Court
banning sacrifice of animals and birds for religious reasons
in all temples of the state, the practice continues unabated
in the renowned Tripureswari temple in Gomati district.
    On the occasion of the new moon on Saturday, more than
100 animals were sacrificed as part of rituals, manager of
Tripureshwari temple, Manik Datta said.
    "We have not received any instructions from the temple
trust or the sebayet (servitor) of the temple, who is the
district magistrate," Datta told reporters on Sunday night
from the Gomati district headquarters, Udaipur.
    Additional District Magistrate of Gomati district, P L
Chakma did not deny Datta's claim.
    "We have neither received any instructions from
Tripureswari temple trust nor from the state revenue
department regarding banning of animal sacrifice. So, the
status quo is being maintained," Chakma told PTI over the
phone from Udaipur.
    A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjoy Karol and
Justice Arindam Lodh had pronounced the order on Friday after
hearing a public interest litigation.
    "No person including the State shall be allowed to
sacrifice any animal/bird within the precincts of any of the
temples within the State of Tripura," the order said.
    The bench directed all the district magistrates and
superintendents of police of the state to ensure
implementation of the order forthwith.
    It also directed the state chief secretary to install
CCTV cameras at two major temples of the state - Devi
Tripureswari temple and Chaturdas Devata temple - where a
large number of animals are sacrificed.
    The chief secretary should obtain soft copies of video
recording by the CCTV cameras every month, the bench ordered.
    Meanwhile, Tripura's royal scion, Pradyot Kishore
Manikya Debbarman told reporters that he would file a writ
petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict of the
High Court.
    He also tweeted on Sunday, "Moving the SC to challenge
the order of the Tripura High Court on the ban of Animal
Sacrifice in our temples.
    "While I believe that opulence and mass slaughter of
animals in temples is not required, the HC cannot interfere in
customs, culture and have gone beyond their jurisdiction."
    Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ratan Lal
Nath, said the matter would be discussed by the state
government.
    "We are in the process of collecting the High Court
order, would study it thoroughly and then come to a decision,"
he told reporters on Sunday. PTI JOY
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)