In a bizarre incident, a person named ‘Neil Armstrong’ has been granted permission by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) through an online application system to slaughter 5 goats inside a courtroom in Bombay High Court. According to reports, the Bombay HC has taken a note over the incident on August 14th and has asked the BMC to halt the online process of granting permission for goat slaughter for the occasion of Bakr-Eid.

The Bombay HC was reportedly hearing a petition by the Jiv Maitri trust, which had petitioned against the new online process set up by the BMC to grant permission for goat slaughter. The petitioners have appealed that the BMC has been granting online permissions without any verification and the entire process is faulty. The petitioner’s lawyer, advocate Sujay Kantawalla, then went ahead and produced permissions that his colleagues had secured under random names. One such applicant named ‘Neil Armstrong’ had been given permission to slaughter 5 goats inside the courtroom 13, the very room where the case was being heard. Another applicant had secured permission to slaughter goats inside courtroom 52, which is presided by the acting chief justice of the Bombay Hogh Court.

Justice Abhay Oka, who was hearing the petition with Justice RI Chigla had reportedly expressed shock over the entire process and remarked that the online system is ridiculous and should be stopped immediately. Taking note of the erroneous system, the High Court bench had reportedly remarked that the BMC has been granting permissions ‘without any application of mind’.

The HC bench had also remarked that the issue of granting permission without verification also violates the law under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which mandates that animal slaughter can only be carried out at licensed abattoirs. The bench has reportedly asked the BMC to halt the process of granting online permissions till the next hearing. The bench also reportedly stated that the BMC needs to re-verify the permissions that have already been granted. The BMC has been instructed to file a reply on the corrective measures taken by Saturday, 19th August.