In the bustling city of Mumbai, a seemingly routine event spiraled into a disruptive incident, as a family brought goats into their residential complex ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, also known as Bakrid. The occurrence stirred up a commotion in the Vinay Nagar Society at JP North, leading to an escalating confrontation between society residents and law enforcement authorities, who had to intervene to pacify the mounting tensions.

The incident, which transpired on the Monday night before Bakrid, led to significant uproar and agitation among the residents. By Tuesday, the discord had grown to such an extent that the local police were called to intervene, a rather startling development for what is typically a peaceful residential community.

Caught on the society's surveillance camera, a viral video clip shows a man and a woman - later identified as Mohsin and his wife - taking two goats up to their apartment via the elevator. The sight of the couple with their goats in such an urban residential setting was unexpected and led to widespread shock among the residents.

Following this surprising act, the situation escalated rapidly. Many residents came out to protest, demanding immediate action from the authorities. The police officers had a challenging task at hand, trying to mediate the situation and maintain calm amidst the heightened tension.

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, voiced their concerns, saying, “Despite the collective decision by all societies to not permit goats within the building, this couple brazenly violated the rule, completely disregarding the stipulated guidelines. They didn't even bother to seek permission from the police or the society management. We demand an immediate resolution to this problem.”

The residents asserted that the conflict remained verbal, with no physical harm inflicted on any individual. However, they did allege that certain derogatory remarks were directed towards some women in the fracas.

Mohsin Sheikh and Yasmin Khan live in JP Infra Housing Society. They brought lambs to their residence to butcher on BakraEid.

Another resident pointed out that this behavior was especially shocking because it was an isolated incident. “Mohsin is the only one who behaved in this way. The other Muslim families in the society respected and abided by the rules, utilizing the designated areas for housing their goats. It's this obstinacy, this disregard for the rules, that is causing problems. All we want is for everyone to respect and follow the society's regulations.”

The police officer assigned to the case conveyed to the residents that their top priority was to maintain peace and communal harmony. “Slaughtering within society premises is strictly prohibited as per Supreme Court and High Court rulings. There's no clear directive on whether they can house the goat in their apartment or not. That's why we are trying to convince him to relocate the goat, considering the society members' demands.”

The officer reassured the residents that no slaughtering would occur within the society, and if anyone violates this rule, they would be arrested.

In one of the shared viral videos, a police officer can be seen trying to disperse the agitated crowd, which adamantly refused to leave until a final decision was made. His attempts to reassure the residents were met with staunch resistance, creating an atmosphere of palpable tension.

An officer from the local police station shed some light on the precedent of this incident, stating that every year before Bakrid, Mohsin brings a goat to his house due to lack of space elsewhere. He usually informs the police in advance and ensures that the goat is relocated the following day without being slaughtered in his apartment. This repeated behavior, however, culminated in a significant uproar this year, leaving the residents and the authorities in a state of distress.

No Slaughter Within Residential Flats During Bakr-Id; Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court has recently ruled that the slaughter of sheep and goats within residential flats during the forthcoming Bakr-Eid festival will not be permitted. This directive was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice GS Patel. They instructed the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to be stringent in upholding public safety and hygiene. The court also urged the civic body to promptly address any violations of this directive.

The court stated, "As regard housing societies, while we do not completely restrain the granting of permissions, we will direct that no permissions should be granted if the applicant society is located within a reasonable one-kilometre walking distance from a community space for slaughtering (including a religious slaughtering space)."

The Jiv Maitri Trust, represented by Senior Advocate Rajani Iyer, highlighted the permissions granted by the MCGM for the slaughter of sheep and goats during Bakr-Eid on August 12, 2019. These temporary permissions were granted in accordance with the guidelines under Section 403(2)(e) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1988 read with Section 403(1)(b).

The policy's objective is to issue temporary No Objection Certificates for the slaughter of small animals, specifically goats and sheep, at designated locations for religious purposes, as per the provisions of MMC Act 1888, sections 403(1)(b) and 403(2)(b). The policy stipulates that places for slaughtering, other than abattoirs, are predetermined and designated by the MCGM.

The policy further states, "All places near railway station, bus stands, auto rickshaw stand, Taxi stand, Educational Institution, Hospitals, places of high footfall, government administrative premises, VIP places and of heavy vehicular traffic will not be allowed for any slaughtering. Proposed place for slaughter shall not be adjacent to or in front of any religious place of other faiths."

The court identified four categories of slaughter locations. The first category includes existing abattoirs and meat markets, of which there are approximately 58. The second category comprises community spaces or religious places such as mosques. The third category includes cooperative societies proposing to conduct slaughter in the open spaces of their compound areas. The fourth category includes individual flats.

The bench observed, "In our view, the requirements of public safety, hygienic and sanitation make it impossible to accept any policy that permits slaughtering inside individual flats. The reasons suggest themselves. In a city that is as densely crowded and congested as Mumbai and where typical residential apartments are small, we do not believe it is possible to make effective arrangements for human, hygienic and safe methods of sacrificial slaughter within a residential flat. Many of these flats are homes for the very old or the very young (or both) and our concern is about the health, hygienic and safety of all. We believe these concerns override all others. Therefore, the MCGM is prohibited and restrained from accepting or granting permissions of slaughter inside any individual flat. It will not matter whether the application is made by an individual, a family or a group of individuals. We restrain all slaughtering within residential flats or accommodations."