The Gujarat Animals And Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) Act, 1972

The Gujarat Animals And Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) ACT, 1972 
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GOVERNMENT OF GUJARAT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LEGISLATIVE AND PARLIAMNETARY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GUJARAT ACT NO. 19 OF 1972 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Gujarat Animals And Birds Sacrifices 
(Prohibition) Act, 1972 
 
 
 
 
[ As modified upto 31st May, 2012] 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Gujarat Animals And Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) ACT, 1972 
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THE GUJARAT ANIMALS AND BIRDS SACRIFICES (PROHIBITION)  
ACT, 1972. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
PREAMBLE 
SECTIONS.         PAGE No. 
 
 
1. Short title, extent and commencement  
 
2. Definitions  
 
3. Sacrifice of animals and birds in temples or its precinets prohibited 
 
4. Officiating at sacrifice, etc., prohibited 
 
5. Temple or its precinets not to be allowed to be used for sacrifice 
 
6. Penalties 
 
7. Trial of offences 
 
8. Issue of injunction 
 
9. Duty of officer -in-charge of police station to file complaint or apply for 
injunction 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Gujarat Animals And Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) ACT, 1972 
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GUJARAT ACT NO. 19 OF 1972.1  
 
[THE GUJARAT ANIMALS AND BIRDS SACRIFICES (PROHIBITION) ACT, 1972]. 
 
[18th September, 1972]. 
 
An Act to provide for prohibition of sacrifices of animals and birds in, or in the 
precinets of, Hindu temples in the State of Gujarat. 
 
It is hereby enacted in the Twenty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 
 
1. (1) This Act may be called the Gujarat Animals and Birds Sacrifices 
(Prohibition) Act, 1972. 
 
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Gujarat. 
 
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by 
notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 
 
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires- 
 
(a) "precinets" in relation to a temple includes any Mandap, building and land 
appertaining to the temple and ordinarily used for any purpose connected with 
the worship in the temple, whether belonging to the temple or not, and the 
entire area of land appertaining to the temple on which Jatra or fair is held; 
 
(b) "sacr ifice" means the killing or maiming of any animal or bird for the 
purpose, or with the intention, of propitiating any deity; 
 
(c) "temple" means a place, by whatever designation known, used as a place of 
public religious worship, and dedicated to, or for t he benefit of, or used as of 
right by, the Hindu community or any section thereof, as a place of public 
religious worship. 
 
3. No person shall sacrifice or cause to be sacrificed any animal or bird in any temple or 
its precinets. 
 
4. 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 a temple or its precinets. 
 
5. No person shall knowingly allow any sacrifice to be performed at any place which- 
 
(a) is situated within any temple or its precinets, and 
 
(b) is in his possession or under his control. 
 
6. (1) Whoever contravention or abets the contravention of, the provisions of 
section 3 shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment which may 
extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or 
with both. 
 
(2) Whoever contravenes, or abets the contravention of the provisions of 
section 4 or 5 shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment which may 
extend to three months or with fine which may extend to three hundred rupees 
or with both. 
 
7.  No offence under this Act shall be tried in any area outside the City of 
Ahmedabad   by a court inferior to that of a Magistrate of the First Class. 
 
8. (1) If a court is satisfied on information laid before it through a complaint or 
otherwise that a sacrifice in contravention of the provisions of this Act has been 
Short title, extent 
and 
commencement. 
Definitions. 
Sacrifice of animals 
and birds in temples 
or its precinets 
prohibited 
Officiating, as 
sacrifice etc., 
prohibited. 
Temple or its 
precinets not to be 
allowed to be used 
for sacrifice. 
Penalties. 
Trial of offences. 
Issue of injunction. 
The Gujarat Animals And Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) ACT, 1972 
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arranged or is about to be performed, it may issue an injunction against any of 
the persons concerned in arranging or performing it, prohibiting the performing 
of such sacrifice. 
 
(2) Whoever knowing that an injunction has been issued against him under 
sub- section (1) disobeys such injunction shall, on conviction, be punished with 
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months 
or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both. 
 
9. On receipt of any information that a sacrifice in contravention of the provisions of 
this Act has been arranged or is about to be performed, the officer-in-charge of a police 
station shall, unless he has reasonable grounds which shall be recorded by him in  
writing, for not believing the information, forthwith file a complaint in the court for an 
offence which appears to him to have been committed, or as the case may be, make an 
application to the court for an injunction under section 8. 
 
 
----------------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
                                       
1 For Statement of Objects and Reasons see Gujarat Government Gazette, Extra -ordinary, Part 
V, dated June 21, 1972, p. 57.  
 This Act was assented by the President on the 30 th August 1972 
Duty of officer 
incharge of police 
station to file 
complaint for 
injunction. 

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