Three sentenced to life imprisonment in Gujarat cow slaughter case

A Gujarat court has sentenced three men to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case involving 277 kg of beef. The judge cited Hindu scriptures, including the Manusmriti, while Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi welcomed the verdict

Gandhinagar: A court in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case after they were found in possession of 277 kg of beef, citing Hindu scriptures to underscore the religious significance of the cow.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi hailed the verdict, calling it a clear message that the law would never spare those who commit cow slaughter in the state.

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In his judgment on Monday, Additional Sessions Judge BR Rajput also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on the convicts — Vasim Qureshi, Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi and Asfaq Bahelim.

Quoting the Manusmriti, an ancient Sanskrit text, the court observed that the cow is not merely an animal but is regarded as a pillar of material prosperity and dharma (righteousness).

“Sage Manu entrusted the primary responsibility for the protection and care of cattle to the ‘Vaishya’ class. Furthermore, in the context of ‘Arsha Vivaha’ (a traditional form of Vedic marriage), the pair — a cow and a bull — holds special significance,” the judge said.

Further quoting the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures, the court said that, according to religious accounts, when drops of amrita (nectar) fell to the earth through the power of penance, the divine cow Kamadhenu emerged and came to be regarded as the progenitor of all bovine species on earth.

“The cow is regarded as the ‘mother of the world’, serving as an abode for 33 crore deities. Her four legs are symbolic of the four Vedas,” the court said.

According to the prosecution, six persons were arrested with 277 kg of beef, weapons allegedly used to slaughter cows and a vehicle meant to transport the meat after a raid on a house in Jamla village in Gandhinagar district on August 22, 2024.

The prosecution said a father-son duo would purchase weak or non-lactating buffaloes. They would then bring four individuals from Ahmedabad to their home and have the animals slaughtered in a cruel manner for beef, allegedly for financial gain.

Citing the investigation, the prosecution said the accused intended to sell the beef to one Ghulam Moin. After the trial, the court found three of the six men guilty. The prosecution produced 54 witnesses and 18 pieces of documentary evidence to establish the charges.

Sanghavi congratulated the Gandhinagar police and the prosecution for what he described as an accurate investigation and the presentation of strong evidence that led to the sentencing.

“This verdict under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act is a clear message that the law will never spare those who commit cow slaughter in Gujarat. Protecting the cow mother is Gujarat’s unwavering resolve. Congratulations to the Gandhinagar Police and the government side for the accurate investigation and presenting strong evidence,” he said.

Through a 2017 amendment to the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954, the state government enhanced the punishment for cow slaughter to life imprisonment, making Gujarat the first state in the country to prescribe such a sentence for the offence.

The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill approved by the state legislative assembly also provides for a 10-year prison term for the transportation, storage or sale of beef.

In 2011, when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, the state government amended the Act to impose a complete ban on cow slaughter and on the transportation and sale of cow meat.