A division bench of the Gauhati High Court (GHC) on Wednesday delivered a split ruling on two petitions seeking a ban on the sale of dog meat in Nagaland with a judge recording his dissent.
The two appeals — one filed by People For Animals (PFA) and Humane Society International/India in 2023, and the other filed by Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh in 2024 — challenged the Supreme Court’s June 2, 2023 ruling that set aside the Nagaland government’s July 2020 order banning the commercial import, trade and sale of dogs, and commercial sale of dog meat in restaurants.
Addressing the pending judgment in the two appeals on Wednesday, the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court registered conflicting directions. While Judge Budi Hapong dismissed the petition as devoid of merits and upheld the court order allowing the sale and consumption of dog meat, Judge Robin Phukan allowed the injunction to be appealed and vacated the 2023 order.
A detailed order is awaited.
The Nagaland Cabinet had in 2020 decided to ban commercial import and trade of dogs, dog markets and sale of cooked and uncooked dog meat. The ban was notified by the Chief Secretary on 4 July 2020.
The move sparked mixed reactions from the Naga people. Although many Nagas do not consume dog meat, it is considered more of a delicacy for the Nagas and people of certain communities in the region.
In September 2020, traders licensed to import dogs and sell their meat challenged the legal basis and jurisdiction of the government order.
In 2023, the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court quashed the Nagaland government’s order banning the commercial sale of dog meat in restaurants.
On June 2, 2023, Justice Marley Vankone ruled that the Chief Secretary of the State of Nagaland was not the appropriate authority to issue the prohibition order when Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provides for the appointment of a Food Safety Commissioner for effective implementation of food safety requirements and standards under the Act.
