Calcutta High Court Directs Authorities To Comply With Undertaking To Prevent Mass Animal Sacrifice In Bolla Kali Puja
The Calcutta High Court made such observations while considering a Petition pertaining to the prevention of mass sacrifice of animals.
Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court has directed the Government Authorities, Bolla Kali Puja Committee, Panchayat, as well as the local body authorities to ensure compliance with the decision taken in a meeting held in relation to the puja where it was decided that no mass sacrifice of animals would be done. The Bench also took note of the Puja Committee’s undertaking to sacrifice only 2 animals.
The High Court made such observations while considering a Petition pertaining to the prevention of mass sacrifice of animals.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen ordered, “It shall be the duty of the State authority and their instrumentalities to ensure that no slaughter of animals is done in an area which is not designated as per Rules of 2001. The Government authorities shall ensure such strict compliance.”
Advocate Vinay Kr. Sharaff represented the Petitioner, while Advocate General Kishore Datta represented the Respondent.
Factual Background
When the matter was taken up on October 31, 2025, the Advocate General apprised the court that the meeting was scheduled to be held on November 3, 2025 in relation to Bolla Kali Puja 2025, where a decision was to be taken in relation to the question of sacrifice of animals in a religious function held by the Bolla Kali Temple Committee. The Advocate General highlighted certain points, which were mutually agreed in the meeting. In Point No.3, it was decided that “No mass sacrifice will be done”. In Point No.11, “the Bolla Kali Puja Committee was requested to convince people against animal sacrifice.”
Arguments
On the strength of the decision taken in the meeting and based on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, the petitioner’s Counsel submitted that the slaughter can take place only at the designated place.
It was the respondent’s case that to follow the niyam raksha/rituals, the Puja Committee would undertake to sacrifice only 2 animals on behalf of the Bolla Kali Puja Committee. However, such a sacrifice would take place at the designated place and as per the Rules of 2001.
Reasoning
Dealing with the question of mass sacrifice of animals, the Bench referred to the judgment of the Tripura High Court in Subhas Bhattacharjee vs. State of Tripura (2019), whereby the mass sacrifice was prohibited. The Bench noted that this judgment was called into question before the Supreme Court, and the Apex Court passed an interim order directing that, if any slaughter of animals was done for the purpose involved in the petition, it was to be done in an area set up in accordance with law.
The Bench thus directed, “It shall be the duty of the Government authorities including the panchayat and local body authorities to ensure compliance of such undertaking recorded in the minutes of the meeting dated 03.11.2025.”
The Bench further ordered that it would be the duty of the Bolla Kali Puja Committee to abide by the undertaking which was recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The Bench also directed the circulation of the order by the State authorities and the Bolla Kali Puja Committee to create awareness amongst the people.
“The matter is made returnable in the second week of December, 2025…”, it concluded.
Cause Title: Shree Vardhman Parivar v. The State of West Bengal (Case No.: WPA(P) 427 of 2025)
Appearance
Petitioner: Advocates Vinay Kr. Sharaff, Dev Kr. Agarwal, Swarnwarshi Poddar
Respondent: Advocate General Kishore Datta, Advocates Sumita Shaw, Soumen Chatterjee, Kalyan Kumar Chakraborty, Benoy Brata Bhowmik, Gopal Krishna Sarkar