HC bench split on dog meat trade in Nagaland

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like KOHIMA: A division bench of the Gauhati High Court (GHC) on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on two writ petitions seeking ban on sale of dog meat in Nagaland with one of the judges registering his dissent. HC bench split on dog meat trade in NagalandThe two appeals — one filed by People For Animals (PFA) and Humane Society International/India in 2023, and the other by Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh in 2024 — challenged a June 2, 2023 HC judgment which quashed Nagaland government’s July 2020 order to ban the commercial import, trading of dogs and dog markets, and commercial sale of dog meat in restaurants. Addressing pending judgment on the two appeals on Wednesday, the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court registered opposing directives. While Justice Budi Habung dismissed the plea as being devoid of merit and upheld the court’s order allowing sale and consumption of dog meat, Justice Robin Phukan allowed the writ appeals and quashed the 2023 order. The Nagaland cabinet had decided in 2020 to ban the commercial import and trading of dogs, dog markets and the sale of dog meat, both cooked and uncooked. The ban was notified by the chief secretary on July 4, 2020. The move had evoked mixed reactions from the Naga people. Although there are many Nagas who do not consume dog meat, it is considered more than a delicacy for Nagas and people from certain communities in the region. In September 2020, traders licensed to import dogs and sell dog meat, challenged the legal basis and jurisdiction of the government order. In 2023, the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court quashed the Nagaland government’s order to ban commercial sale of dog meat in restaurants. On June 2, 2023, Justice Marli Vankun ruled that the chief secretary of Nagaland was not the appropriate authority to issue the ban order when section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 provides for the appointment of a commissioner of food safety for efficient implementation of food safety and standards requirements under the Act.