Supreme Court refuses to hear plea against Bakri Eid Animal slaughter at Dargah inside Vishalgad Fort

The Supreme Court today refused to urgently hear a petition filed against the Bombay High Court's order permitting animal slaughter for Eid al-Adha (Bakri Eid) and Urus festival at the Hazrat Peer Malik Rehan Dargah, situated inside Vishalgad Fort in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, subject to strict compliance with previously laid conditions.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and SC Sharma refused an urgent hearing today on the account of Eid tomorrow.

Court was told that that there was a specific notification by the State of Maharashtra notifying the Fort as a protected monument. Justice Karol in response said many religious activities were going on in protected monuments.

Before the high court, the dargah trust had challenged several communications from the Director of Archaeology and Museums, the Superintendent of Police, Kolhapur, and the CEO of Kolhapur Zilla Parishad, which sought to ban animal slaughter at the site.

The said authorities had sought a prohibition on animal slaughter while citing the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1962, which prohibit cooking and consumption of food.

On the other hand, it was the trust's case that the slaughter took place on private land nearly 1.4 km away from the fort and not inside the monument itself. Therefore, the mentioned rules are not being violated.

After weighing the contentions of both sides, the court permitted the sacrifice to take place on June 7, 2025 (Bakri Eid) and during the Urs festival scheduled between June 8 and 12, 2025. Recalling its June 14, 2024, order, the court said that it had allowed animal slaughter during Bakri Eid and Urs at the said dargah.