A Gujarat court has cited Hindu scriptures, including the Manusmriti and the Rigveda, while sentencing three men to life imprisonment for cow slaughter. The court observed that cows could become extinct if those involved in their slaughter were not punished in accordance with the law.

Justice Brijeshkumari Rameshwarsinh Rajput, presiding over the Third Additional Sessions Court in Kalol, Gandhinagar, made the observations in a judgment

“If accused persons such as these, who have cruelly cut the body parts of cows into pieces and separated them, are not punished in accordance with the law, then, over time, Gau Mata will become extinct from the earth,” the court observed.

The judgment also referred to Sanskrit verses describing cows as the mothers of the world and cow protection as a religious duty.

One of the verses cited in the judgment described cows as the source of happiness for all and stated that protecting them was a religious duty. It further said that cow slaughter amounted to a loss of dharma (righteousness) and that punishment should follow when guilt was established in accordance with the law.

The court also quoted another Sanskrit verse describing the cow as the mother of all gods and the cause of sacrifices, referring to it as the holiest among sacred pilgrimage sites.

The case arose from a police raid at a house in Jamla village on August 22, 2024. According to the prosecution, the accused had allegedly acted together to slaughter cows illegally and were preparing to sell the meat.

Police allegedly recovered around 277 kilograms of beef, valued at ₹55,400, from the premises. They also seized knives, an axe, a weighing scale, ropes and vehicles. The total value of the seized property was estimated at ₹3,61,540.

The court observed that the accused had allegedly slaughtered cows despite knowing the consequences, cut off their mouths, stomachs, legs and skins, and were caught while extracting around 277 kilograms of beef and preparing it for sale.

The court sentenced three accused — Wasim, Mohammed Rafiq and Ashfaq alias Salman — to life imprisonment and a fine of ₹2 lakh each under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act. It also imposed a sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh each for offences under other provisions of the Act. The sentences will run concurrently.

The court acquitted two other accused, Gulam Moin Mustaq Ahmed Ismail Qureshi and Vitthal alias Bhupat Senma, giving them the benefit of doubt. It also recorded that the first accused, Lalabhai Manilal Senma, had died.

No separate sentences were imposed for certain other offences, as the court had already awarded punishment for the principal offences.

Additional Public Prosecutor JH Joshi appeared for the State, while Advocate RA Sheikh represented the accused.