The Madurai Bench of Madras HC today put a four-week stay on Centre's ban on cattle slaughter.

The High Court has asked the Centre and state government to reply in four weeks over the issue.

Last week, the Union environment ministry had notified stringent new rules that ban sale and purchase of cattle from any animal/livestock market for purposes of slaughter or religious sacrifice.

The ministry had notified the stringent Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, banning the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

The rules define cattle as a bovine animal including bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves and camels.

The rules define cattle as a bovine animal including bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves and camels.

The new rules also prohibited establishment of an animal market in a place which is situated within 25 km from any state border an