In a landmark judgement that has stirred legal and political circles across the state of Gujarat, a sessions court in Gujarat’s Amreli district on Tuesday handed life sentences to three men under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act— the first such instance in the state. The ruling, delivered by Sessions Judge Rizvana Bukhari, convicted Akram Solanki (30), Kasim Solanki (20) and Sattar Solanki (52), imposing a collective fine exceeding ₹18 lakh. The court further ordered that failure to pay the fine would invite additional imprisonment.
The case dates back to November 6, 2023, when police in Amreli acted on a tip-off and raided a residence in the Baharpara locality of Khatkivad. Officers reportedly discovered evidence of cow slaughter, including meat later confirmed through veterinary and forensic examination to be of cow origin.
Akram Solanki was arrested on the spot, while the other two accused initially fled. Both later surrendered to authorities. Besides violations of the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act — which prohibits the slaughter of any animal of the cow progeny — the men also faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Special Public Prosecutor Chandresh Mehta noted that this was the first time three individuals had been handed life terms in a single cow-slaughter case in Gujarat— a state where cow protection has long been positioned as a matter of cultural and political identity.
While the verdict has been hailed as “historic” by the Gujarat government, critics argue that cow-protection laws, often framed as animal-welfare measures, disproportionately impact some communities heavily represented in the cattle trade, leather industry and beef consumption economy.
The Gujarat government welcomed the ruling, reaffirming that it remains committed to stringent enforcement of cow-protection laws.
Government spokesperson and senior minister Jitu Vaghani described the verdict as a “red signal” to those involved in cow slaughter, adding that Gujarat would show “no mercy” in such offences. The state reiterated that “Gaumata is a centre of Indian culture and faith,” and credited strong evidence and a robust chargesheet for the convictions.
In India more than 20 states have now amended cow-related legislation to include harsher penalties — from life imprisonment to hefty fines and restrictions on possession and sale of beef.
In Maharashtra, a 2015 amendment criminalised the slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks, with beef possession alone carrying a jail term of up to five years. In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the closure of hundreds of slaughterhouses and meat shops soon after taking office in 2017.
Notably, the country’s buffalo meat exports, valued at nearly ₹4,000 crore annually, remain largely untouched by state-level cow-protection laws.
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