Beef ban: SC tells J&K high court to form bench

New Delhi, October 5: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to form a three-judge bench to examine the validity of pel provisions that bans slaughtering of cattle and sale of beef in the state. Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy put on hold the order of the Jammu bench of the high court directing the police chief in the state to enforce the Ranbir pel code provisions banning beef in the state. The court passed the order after noting the conflicting orders passed by the Jammu and Srigar bench of the high court. The Jammu bench had asked the police chief to enforce the ban while the Srigar bench had issued notice challenging the validity of the provision banning beef. The Srigar bench had said that if the state legislature wanted to scrap or amend these provisions, then the pendency of the matter before it will not come in the way of the assembly. (IANS)