Chennai: The Madras High Court has refused to permit camel slaughter in Tamil Nadu, citing lack of proper facilities to slaughtering the animals in the state.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Mahadevan were perusing the petitions for and against the slaughtering of camels. After going through the affidavits filed by the Union of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu, the bench observed that the mode and manner in which the animals are transported have also been defined under various enactments.

The affidavit demanding a ban on the slaughter has quoted Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules 2001, amended in 2010, which prohibits the sacrificing of animals. ‘Destruction of animals is allowed for food of mankind only, and not for sacrifice purposes,’ it said. The affidavit also quoted the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation 2011, notification that prohibits camel meat as food.