ABDUL HAKIM QURAISHI AND OTHERS vs THE STATE OF BIHAR (AND CONNECTED PETITIONS)

In Mohd. Hanif Quareshi v. The State of Bihar, the Supreme Court ruled that the total ban on the slaughter of bulls, bullocks, and she-buffaloes below 20 or 25 years of age under various state acts, including Section 3 of the Bihar Preservation and Improvement of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1959, was not a reasonable restriction in the interest of the general public and thus void. The Court held that such a ban infringed the fundamental rights of butchers by effectively ending their profession, as these animals ceased to be useful after 15 years. The Court emphasized that the economic burden of maintaining unserviceable cattle outweighed any minimal utility they might provide.