Gujarat court sentences 3 to life in cow slaughter case, cites hindu scriptures

A court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district has sentenced three men to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case involving 277 kg of beef. The judge cited the Manusmriti, Vedas and other Hindu scriptures while underscoring the cow's religious significance.Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi welcomed the verdict, saying it sent a clear message that the law would not spare those involved in cow slaughter in the state. (Representative image)Gandhinagar,Oct 29, 2026 14:18 ISTA court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district has sentenced three people to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case after they were found in possession of 277 kg of beef, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The court cited Hindu scriptures while underlining the religious significance of the cow.Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi welcomed the verdict, saying it sent a clear message that the law would not spare those involved in cow slaughter in the state.Additional Sessions Judge BR Rajput delivered the judgment on Monday and imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on each of the three convicts: Vasim Qureshi, Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi and Asfaq Bahelim. Quoting the Manusmriti, an ancient Sanskrit text, the court observed that the cow was not merely an animal but was regarded as a pillar of material prosperity and 'dharma', or 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. Citing the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures, the court said that when drops of 'amrita', or nectar, fell to earth through the power of penance, the divine cow Kamadhenu emerged and came to be regarded as the ancestor 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 people were arrested following a raid on a house in Jamla village in Gandhinagar district on August 22, 2024.Officials allegedly recovered 277 kg of beef, weapons said to have been used to slaughter cows and a vehicle intended to transport the meat.The prosecution said a father and son would buy weak or non-lactating buffaloes and bring four people from Ahmedabad to their home to slaughter the animals for beef for financial gain.Citing the investigation, it said the accused intended to sell the beef to Ghulam Moin.After the trial, the court found three of the six accused guilty. The prosecution presented 54 witnesses and 18 pieces of documentary evidence to establish the charges, PTI reported.Sanghavi congratulated the Gandhinagar police and the prosecution for what he described as an “accurate investigation and presenting 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 Gujarat government increased 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 legislative assembly also provides for 10 years' imprisonment for the transportation, storage or sale of beef.In 2011, when Narendra Modi was Gujarat chief minister, the state government amended the law to impose a complete ban on cow slaughter and the transportation and sale of cow meat.The latest judgment sentenced three people to life imprisonment and imposed fines of Rs 3 lakh each in the case involving 277 kg of beef.- Ends