Gujarat court sentences 3 to life imprisonment in cow slaughter case

An Amreli sessions court on Tuesday sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for cow slaughter, observing that the accused committed the act despite knowing that cows are considered sacred in Hinduism.Principal District and Sessions Judge Rizvana Bukhari convicted Kasim Haji Solanki (20), Sattar Ismail Solanki (52), and Akram Haji Solanki (30) under various provisions of the Gujarat Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017, along with sections 429 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Each of the convicts was also fined Rs6 lakh.The court, while delivering the verdict, noted that the trio carried out the slaughter “despite being aware that cows are revered as sacred in Hinduism.” The case dates back to 2023, when the three were arrested following a police tip-off alleging that cow offspring had been slaughtered in Amreli city for financial gain.
A day after the judgment, the Gujarat government hailed the verdict as “historic,” reaffirming its commitment to strict enforcement of laws protecting cows, which it described as the “center of Indian culture and faith.”Government spokesperson and state minister Jitu Vaghani recalled that under then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Gujarat government had strengthened the cow protection law in 2011. The legislation was later amended in 2017, raising the maximum punishment from seven years to life imprisonment.“The judgment sends a clear message that the state government will show no mercy towards those who violate this law,” the official statement said.The ruling is being viewed as one of the strongest enforcements of the Gujarat Preservation (Amendment) Act, underscoring the state’s zero-tolerance stance on cow slaughter and its continued efforts to preserve what it calls a vital element of Indian tradition and faith.

(State Correspondent)