Gujarat court sentences 3 to life imprisonment in cow slaughter case
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Gandhinagar: A court in Gujarat on Tuesday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for cow slaughter under provisions of the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, according to reports.
Terming the verdict by the sessions court in Amreli district ‘historic’, the state’s BJP administration said it is a ‘red signal’ for those carrying out cow slaughter.
The Gujarat Animal Preservation Act bans the slaughter of animals belonging to the cow progeny in the state, according to Scroll.
Sessions Judge Rizvana Bukhari observed that three men identified as Kasim Solanki, Sattar Solanki and Akram Solanki carried out the slaughter despite knowing that the animals were considered sacred in Hinduism.
The court also ordered the three men to pay a collective fine of more than Rs 18 lakh, according to The Indian Express.
Special Public Prosecutor Chandresh Mehta reportedly, referring to the court order, said that it was the first time a court sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a single case of cow slaughter in the state.
The three men were arrested in Amreli town in November 2023, after police constable Vanraj Manjariya filed a complaint against them alleging they were found slaughtering a cow in the Mota Khatkiwad area of the town, before disposing the remains in a drain.
It is reported that police in a raid at a house linked to the three men recovered 40 kg of cow meat alongside the animal’s remains, weighing scales and a vehicle.
Though Akram Solanki was arrested from the site, others had fled but later surrendered.