Agartala, Oct 2 (IANS): The Tripura government would soon file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court against the Tripura High Court order banning the centuries old tradition of animal sacrifice in religious places in the northeastern state, a state minister said here on Tuesday.

Tripura royal family scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman also announced to file the petition before the apex court next week against the high court judgement and said the HC cannot overrule the provisions of the merger agreement which was signed on October 15, 1949, between Regent Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi and the Governor General of India.

Tripura's Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said: "The high court order evoked a mixed reaction. According to the existing law, sacrifice of animals in religious places does not mean cruelty against animals. Hence, the state government has decided to file the SLP before the Supreme Court. After the apex court decision, the state government would take the follow up steps on the issue."

A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Arindam Lodh said in a landmark judgement on Friday: "No person including the state shall be allowed to sacrifice of any animal or bird within the precincts of any of the temples within the state of Tripura."