The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.Sathyanarayanan, said "it is the pitiable state of affairs on the part of Corporation of Chennai, for not starting the modern slaughter house even after a lapse of three years."
"...The only answer which we are interested in from the Corporation is as to when slaughter house will commence functioning...The public at large cannot be made to suffer on account of the quibbling between the corporation and concessionaire and the butchers."
When the matter came up, Commissioner of Corporation through an affidavit informed the court about an agreement made with one Concessionaire and other matters which made the bench to put the Additional Advocate General P.H.Aravind Pandian on notice that it will not permit the present situation to prevail even if it means completely banning the sale of meat in Chennai.
The petitioner submitted that the slaughter house on 10 acres of land was alloted by the then government more than 100 years back to merchants in North Madras for supplying meat.
Though a modern slaughter house was constructed with state-of-art-technology that included separate slaughter and processing area, refrigeration, pump house, effluent treatment plant at Pulianthope, it remained closed till date.
He prayed for a direction from the Court to the authorities to close down the present slaughter house.