The Gujarat government today issued rules for the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act 2017, which envisages punishment of up to life term and Rs 5 lakh fine for slaughtering cow or its progeny.
The rules also state that those found guilty of illegal transportation of a cow, its progeny or beef face a jail term of seven to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
The state Assembly had passed a bill to amend the Act on March 31 and Governor O P Kohli had given his assent to the same on April 13. Before the amendments, punishment for those found guilty of slaughtering cow and its progeny faced a jail term of three to seven years and fine of Rs 50,000.
However, now the rules provide stricter punishment of up to life term and no less than 10 years, and Rs 5 lakh fine to those involved in slaughtering cow or its progeny.
Those found guilty of "illegal transportation of cow (as well as bull and bullock) or its progeny, and sale, storage or transportation of beef will be sentenced to jail term of seven to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh", according to the new rules.
All these offences have now been made non-bailable. The rules also state that the vehicles or any other objects found to have been used in the slaughter of cows will be permanently forfeited by the government.
Transportation of cows or its progeny animals by those who hold permits has also been banned between 7 PM and 5 AM, with the government contending that most illegal transportations occur during the night.
The government said taluka development officer, mamlatdar, chief officer of a municipality, deputy health officer of a municipal corporation, assistant commissioner, deputy commissioner and veterinary officer have been made competent officers to issue permit for the transportation of cow or its progeny.
It said that while forensic laboratory facility was made available at five places to check if the meat transported was beef or not, four such mobile vans were also operational. Six more mobile vans would be added to the list.
In 2011, when Narendra Modi was the chief minister, the Gujarat government had imposed a complete ban on cow slaughter, transportation and sale of beef by amending the said Act.
Since then, the crimes related to cow slaughter in the state were covered under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2011, until the present Vijay Rupani government amended it further to make the punishments more stringent.
