<div>Jammu and Kashmir High Court today constituted a three-judge bench that will hear on October 16 a petition against beef ban in the state which has been divided along religious lines over the issue.<br /><br />The Supreme Court had on October 5 asked the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court to constitute a three-judge bench to resolve the beef ban issue after Division Benches of the HC -- one in Srinagar and another in Jammu -- were divided over the matter.<br /><br />The three-judge bench comprises Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar, Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey and Justice Tashi Rabstan.<br /><br />The bench has been constituted after the Supreme Court kept in abeyance for two months the September 9 order of a Division Bench of the state High Court directing the police authorities to enforce the more than century-old beef ban in the state.<br /><br />In its order, the High Court's Division Bench at Jammu had on September 9 asked the state police chief to "strictly enforce" the existing laws (sections 298 A to D of the J&K Ranbir Penal Code) regulating ban on bovine slaughter and beef sale in the state.<br /><br />However, a week later, another Division Bench of the HC in Srinagar had admitted a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of the penal sections regulating ban on bovine slaughter and beef sale and issued notices to the state government directing it to file a response within one week.<br /><br />With the Division Benches of Srinagar and Jammu being divided over the issue, the state government had approached the Supreme Court.</div>
<div>Jammu and Kashmir High Court today constituted a three-judge bench that will hear on October 16 a petition against beef ban in the state which has been divided along religious lines over the issue.<br /><br />The Supreme Court had on October 5 asked the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court to constitute a three-judge bench to resolve the beef ban issue after Division Benches of the HC -- one in Srinagar and another in Jammu -- were divided over the matter.<br /><br />The three-judge bench comprises Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar, Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey and Justice Tashi Rabstan.<br /><br />The bench has been constituted after the Supreme Court kept in abeyance for two months the September 9 order of a Division Bench of the state High Court directing the police authorities to enforce the more than century-old beef ban in the state.<br /><br />In its order, the High Court's Division Bench at Jammu had on September 9 asked the state police chief to "strictly enforce" the existing laws (sections 298 A to D of the J&K Ranbir Penal Code) regulating ban on bovine slaughter and beef sale in the state.<br /><br />However, a week later, another Division Bench of the HC in Srinagar had admitted a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of the penal sections regulating ban on bovine slaughter and beef sale and issued notices to the state government directing it to file a response within one week.<br /><br />With the Division Benches of Srinagar and Jammu being divided over the issue, the state government had approached the Supreme Court.</div>