Representational file image.

| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

The Supreme Court on Monday (July 13, 2026) stayed a May 27 order of the Madras High Court directing the Tamil Nadu government to immediately enforce a State-wide ban on cow slaughter by implementing a government order dated August 30, 1976, which prohibits cow slaughter in the interest of milk production and the improvement of the rural economy.A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a special leave petition filed by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government challenging the High Court’s order on the ground that the direction was contrary to the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958. The State contended that the law, read with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998, and the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules, 2023, regulates the slaughter of animals but does not impose a blanket prohibition.Observing that the impugned order required “correction”, the Bench issued notice on the appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government and stayed the operation of the High Court’s order insofar as it directed the State to impose a complete ban on cow slaughter.The petition, filed by the Secretary to the State government, has arraigned as respondents K. Surya alias K. Surya Prasanth, youth wing secretary of the Indu Makkal Katchi, who had moved the original writ petition before the High Court, along with the Director General of Police and other State officials.The State government had apprised the apex court that the High Court’s order was internally inconsistent. It pointed out that while the High Court had correctly observed that slaughter could take place only in designated slaughterhouses or places notified under the law, it had simultaneously directed a complete prohibition on the slaughter of cows and calves.The impugned order was passed by a Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan, which had directed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police/Head of Police Force to ensure that no cow or calf was slaughtered anywhere in Tamil Nadu either on the eve of Bakrid on May 28, 2026, or on any subsequent day.The High Court had observed that slaughter of animals could take place only in licensed slaughterhouses or places specifically designated by the competent authorities under the law.“Slaughter cannot be done in any place you want… The question of carrying out slaughter in a non-designated place does not arise at all,” the High Court had observed. It had also pointed out that the State authorities remained “duty-bound to enforce the applicable statutory provisions.”The order was passed on a petition filed by K. Surya, a resident of Coimbatore, who alleged that the local authorities had permitted the slaughter of cows and calves in places that had not been notified or designated as slaughterhouses ahead of Bakrid (Eid-ul-Zuha).According to the petitioner, the local administration had allowed the creation of “temporary sheds” for slaughter. He claimed to have submitted a representation on May 18 to the police and the district administration seeking immediate steps to prevent cow slaughter in public places and rescue cows allegedly brought for illegal slaughter, but received no response.Questioning how temporary sheds could qualify as lawful places for slaughter when the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules require slaughter to be carried out only in designated locations, the High Court had observed that the police could not unilaterally determine which places could function as slaughterhouses.Authoring the verdict, Justice Swaminathan had highlighted that Article 48 of the Constitution requires the State to take steps for prohibiting the slaughter of cows, calves and other milch as well as draught cattle. He had further noted that the Constituent Assembly debates reflected the view that the cow is a revered animal and has been associated with Indian civilisation since the time of Lord Krishna. Published - July 13, 2026 12:42 pm IST