Court permits animal sacrifice at Vishalgad fort on the occasion of Bakri Eid and Urus

(Urus is a festival organised to commemorate the death anniversary of a Muslim religious leader.)

Kolhapur (Maharashtra) – The Archaeological Department and the administration had issued an order prohibiting animal sacrifice at Vishalgad fort in view of the upcoming Urus and Bakri Eid observances. Challenging this order, the trustees of the dargah at Vishalgad fort filed a petition before the Circuit Bench (a temporary court location where High Court judges conduct proceedings for a specified period). During the hearing before Justice Ranjitsingh Bhosale, the judge upheld the order issued by the Bombay High Court in 2024 and permitted animal sacrifice on the occasions of Bakri Eid and Urus. The order also stated that due care must be taken for the proper disposal of the meat and any waste generated from the sacrifices. The court further declared that the original petition concerning the matter remains pending and that the next hearing will take place on 8 June.

After the judgement was delivered, a government official present in the courtroom was seen shaking hands with certain members of the dargah trust in what appeared to be a gesture of celebrating victory. This has raised the question: if the Government was contesting the case against the dargah trustees, how could government officials shake hands with members of the dargah trust?

In this petition, Government Advocate Shubhangi Deshmukh appeared in person on behalf of the State, while Advocate Neha Bhide represented the Government online from Mumbai. Present during the hearing were representatives of the dargah trustees, Shahuwadi Tehsildar Seema Sonawane, Police Inspector Rajendra Savantre, and Mr Deepak Desai, District President of the Hindu Ekta Andolan, representing devout Hindu organisations.

Some points raised by the Government during its arguments

1. Riots have previously occurred in the Vishalgad fort area due to encroachments there, and law-and-order issues have arisen as a result.

2. Under Rule 8(c) of the Archaeological Rules, 1962, cooking food within a protected monument area is prohibited. Additionally, according to High Court orders, animal sacrifice in public places is not permitted. To maintain law and order, heavy Police deployment has been stationed at the fort from 27 May to 1 June 2026.

3. Granting permission for animal sacrifice at Vishalgad fort could create a serious situation. Posts are being circulated on social media calling for permission to conduct the Urus held in the name of Rehan Malik. Devout Hindu organisations have opposed the celebration of this Urus.

4. Survey Plot No. 19 is not a slaughterhouse. Therefore, permitting animal sacrifice there could create public health issues. The organisers do not possess the necessary equipment or arrangements to maintain cleanliness at the site.

5. Even if Survey Plot No. 19 is privately owned land, the fort itself falls under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Department and is also under the purview of the Forest Department.

Some points raised by the Judge during the hearing

1. If the Government’s position is that improper activities are taking place on Survey Plot No. 19, that it is not a slaughterhouse, and that appropriate procedures are not being followed there, then what action has the Government taken on the matter so far?

2. Since 3 June 2025, has any incident occurred in the Vishalgad fort area that created a law-and-order problem? Has any such incident taken place?