ANDHRA PRADESH ANIMALS AND BIRDS SACRIFICES PROHIBITION ACT, 1950

32 of 1950

9th December, 1950

An Act to prohibit the sacrifice of animals and birds in, or in the precincts of any place of public religious worship or adoration and in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship in the State of Andhra Pradesh. WHEREAS it is expedient to prohibit the sacrifice of animals and birds in, or in the precincts of, any place of public religious worship or adoration and in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship in the State of Andhra Pradesh; It is hereby enacted as follows:

Section 1 Short title, extent and commencement

(1) This Act may be called the Andhra Pradesh Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1950

2. It extends to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh.

3. This section shall come into force at once; and the rest of this Act shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, appoint.

Section 2 Definitions

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context

(a) "precincts" in relation to a place of public religious worship or adoration includes all lands and buildings near such place which are ordinarily used for purposes connected with religious worship or adoration.

(b) "sacrifice" means the killing or maiming of any animal or bird for the purpose of any religious worship or adoration.

(c) "place of public religious worship or adoration" means any place intended for use by, or accessible to, the public or a section thereof for the purposes of religious worship or adoration.

Section 3 Sacrifice in, or in precincts of, any place of religious worship or adoration or in a congregation or procession connected with religious worship or adoration prohibited

No person shall sacrifice any animal or bird in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts or in any congregation or procession connected with any religious worship in a public street. Explanation: For the purposes of this section and section 4, public street means a oad, street, way or other place, whether a thoroughfare or not, to which the public are granted access or over which they have a right to pass.

Section 4 Officiating at sacrifice, etc. prohibited

No person shall

(a) Officiate or offer to officiate at, or

(b) perform or offer to perform, or

(c) serve, assist or participate, or offer to serve, assist or participate in, any sacrifice in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts or in any congregation or procession connected with any religious worship in a public street.

Section 5 Place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts not to be allowed to be used for sacrifice

No person shall knowingly allow any sacrifice to be performed at any place which

(a) is situated within any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts and

(b) is in his possession or under his control

Section 6 Penalties

(1) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 3 shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to three hundred rupees or with both.

(2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 4 shall be punished with fine which may extend to six hundred rupees. Provided that if the offender is an officer, servant, authority trustee or priest of any place of public religious worship or adoration or the holder of an office in receipt of emoluments or perquisites for the performance of any service in any place of public religious worship or adoration, he shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to six hundred rupees or with both.

(3) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 5 shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which my extend to three months or with fine which may extend to three hundred rupees or with both.

Section 7 Enquiry and trial

No offence punishable under this Act shall be inquired into or tried by any Court inferior to that of .................. a Magistrate of the first or second class.

Section 8 Offences cognizable

Notwithstanding anything in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, any offence punishable under this Act shall be a cognizable offence within the meaning of that code.