A sessions court in Kalol on Monday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case, citing religious scriptures, including the Manu Smriti. The court also slapped a fine of Rs. 3 lakhs on the three convicts.
“Sage Manu entrusted the primary responsibility for the protection and care of cattle to the Vaishya class. Furthermore, in the context of Arsha Vivaha, the pair, a cow and a bull, holds special significance,” the sessions court judge said as per a report by The Hindu.
Further citing the religious scriptures, the trial court said that the drops that the Kamadhenu emerged when the drops of amrita fell to the earth. “The cow is regarded as the ‘mother of the world,’ serving as an abode of 33 crore deities. Her four legs are symbolic of the four Vedas,” the court added.
For context, the three convicts were arrested in a police raid on a house in Jamla village of Gandhinagar district on August 22, 2024. The three convicts allegedly possessed 277 kg of beef, weapons used for slaughter, and a vehicle to transport the meat.
The prosecution alleged that the father-son duo would purchase weak buffaloes, bring them from Ahmedabad to their home, and slaughter them for beef for financial gains. During the trial, the prosecution produced 54 witnesses and 18 pieces of documentary evidence to establish the charges.
Hailing the judgement, Gujarat Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi, describing it as a clear message to “those who commit cow slaughter.” “Protecting the cow mother is Gujarat’s unwavering resolve. Congratulations to the Gandhinagar Police and the government side for the accurate investigation and for presenting strong evidence,” he said.
Gujarat has stringent laws prohibiting cow slaughter. In 2017, it became the first state in the country to make cow slaughter punishable with life imprisonment with the 2017 amendment to the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954.
