In Gujarat, life imprisonment for cow slaughtering

The BJP government in Gujarat on Friday enacted a harsher law providing for life-term for those found involved in cow-slaughtering.

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Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat on Friday enacted a harsher law providing for life-term for those found involved in cow-slaughtering.

The state Assembly passed the amendment to the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act of 1954 providing for maximum punishment of up to life imprisonments and a fine of up to Rs five lakh.

According to new law, anybody found in possession of beef could face a jail term ranging from seven to 10 years.

With the passing of the amendment, cow slaughter has now become a non-bailable offence in the state. 

With Narendra Modi as the state chief minister, the Gujarat government had imposed a complete ban on cow-slaughter, transportation and selling of cow-beef by amending the erstwhile Gujarat Animal Preservation Act of 1954, in 2011. Since then, the crimes related to cow slaughter in Gujarat are covered under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act of 2011.