For the first time in Gujarat, a sessions court handed down a life term to three Muslims for a single cow-slaughter case, apart from slapping a collective fine of Rs 18 lakh, drawing praise from the state government, which said it will teach a tough lesson to those who do injustice to Gaumata amid criticism that the law disproportionately targets Muslims and Dalits.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Sessions Judge Rizvana Bukhari in Amreli district, where Akram Solanki, aged 30, Kasim Solanki, aged 20, and Sattar Solanki, aged 52, were convicted under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The case originated on 6 November 2023, when Amreli police, acting on a tip-off, raided a residence in the Baharpara, Khatkivad area of Amreli town, and claimed to have found evidence of cow slaughter, while a veterinary expert and a forensic team later confirmed that the recovered meat was of cow origin.
Akram Solanki had been arrested at the spot, whereas Kasim Solanki and Sattar Solanki initially fled the location but surrendered later, and the prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Chandresh Mehta, maintained that this was the first instance in the state where three individuals were awarded life imprisonment in a single cow-slaughter case.
The Gujarat government welcomed the judgment and described it as historic, while senior minister Jitu Vaghani asserted that the outcome signalled an uncompromising approach towards offences involving cow progeny, and officials highlighted that the law had first been tightened in 2011 during Narendra Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister before being strengthened further in 2017 to permit life sentences.
The state argued that strong forensic evidence and a detailed chargesheet had contributed to the convictions, and it reiterated its position that the cow is central to cultural identity, whereas critics contended that the law has been repeatedly used in ways that marginalise communities engaged in cattle trade, leather work, and beef consumption.
The broader national landscape has seen similar legislative changes, as more than 20 states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party have adopted stricter penalties, and states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Assam have introduced bans, extended punishments, or restricted beef possession and sale, which opponents believe have disrupted livelihoods and intensified Islamophobia.
Analysts also pointed out that dairy farming, not beef consumption, remains the primary driver of cattle slaughter in India, and that buffalo meat exports, worth several thousand crore rupees annually, continue unaffected by state-level prohibitions.