Madurai, Aug 31: Police have arrested three men who allegedly executed a large number of goats and hens at a temple near here in violation of Tamil Nadu government's ban on animal sacrifice. Police said all the three, professional butchers living near the temple, were taken into custody last night. The goat was sacrificed at the request of devotees at Pandikovil on Friday.

Meanwhile, police had been posted around the temple to prevent animal sacrifice in view of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's Thursday directive to the officials to ensure prevention of killing of animals in the name of sacrifice. Pandikovil authorities suggested that the government could allocate a particular place for animal sacrifice if it felt that the temple premises was getting dirty and infectious due to animal sacrifice.

They said animal sacrifice was part of the religious faith of the people and they would only feel hurt if they were prevented from carrying out the same.

The priest also said that the government could fix a ceiling on the number of goat to be sacrificed on a day. Bureau Report