Gandhinagar court sentences three to life in cow-slaughter case

A Gandhinagar court sentenced three men to life imprisonment in a cow-slaughter case arising from a police raid in Jamla village in August 2024, citing Hindu scriptures in its judgment. The court also imposed fines, although reports differ on how the total was allocated among the offences. The case followed a raid at a house on August 22, 2024. The prosecution said police recovered about 277 kilograms of beef, along with knives and other items, and alleged the men were preparing to sell the meat. The court’s judgment recorded the reported recovery. The prosecution said six people were arrested after the raid and that the meat was intended for sale. The court convicted Vasim Qureshi, Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi and Asfaq Behlim. They were sentenced under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, which was amended in 2017 to provide for life imprisonment for cow slaughter. The judgment also imposed sentences under other provisions, to run concurrently, according to one account of the order. Reports agree that the three men were fined, but differ on the allocation. Some describe the fine as Rs 3 lakh for each man. Another account says each was fined Rs 2 lakh under the Gujarat Animal...