Gurgaon: A special court in Nuh district has sentenced three men to five years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2020 cow slaughter and illegal meat storage case registered at Firozpur Jhirka police station.
The verdict, delivered on Thursday by Additional Sessions Judge Shashi Chauhan, convicted the accused under Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Act, 2015. Each convict was also fined Rs 75,000, with six months of simple imprisonment prescribed in case of non-payment.
According to a police spokesperson, the Firozpur Jhirka team arrested Asif, son of Akhtar, Aas Mohammad, son of Shadi Khan, both residents of Madaribas in Sakaras, and Ejaz Anjaz, son of Ramzan, a resident of Hasanpur Bilonda, on Sep 3, 2020. Police said they recovered around 200kg of fresh beef, along with a weighing machine, a wooden block, knives and an axe from their possession. The men allegedly slaughtered cattle and stored the meat for sale, police said.
Of the four accused named in the case, proceedings against Akhtar, son of Ishaq, were dropped on Oct 15, 2024, following his death.
During the hearing on sentencing, the convicts sought leniency, citing poverty, responsibility towards elderly parents and the absence of any previous criminal record. The court, however, noted the seriousness of the offence and declined to reduce the sentence.
The order stated that the Haryana law, notified on Nov 19, 2015, imposes a complete ban on cow slaughter and the sale, storage, transport or possession of beef. "The accused were not only involved in slaughtering cattle but also kept 200kg of beef ready for sale, an act that could adversely impact public order," the court order stated.
Nuh police welcomed the judgment, calling it a strong message against illegal cow slaughter and beef trade. "The conviction was secured due to strong evidence presented during the trial," a Nuh police spokesperson said.
In March 2019, a Punjab and Haryana High Court bench of Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu had pulled up the state govt for failing to ensure arrests and convictions in cases registered under the Act. Following the court's observations, efforts were stepped up to improve convictions, though the numbers remained low.
The first conviction under the Act came in Dec 2019, when a Faridabad court sentenced three men to three years of rigorous imprisonment for transporting cow skin in 2016. The second conviction came in July 2022, when a Gurgaon court awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment to a cow smuggler for firing at a police team in 2020.
Between 2022 and 2025, courts in Nuh recorded convictions in seven cases registered under the Act, making them among the few such cases in the state to reach conviction.
Bagish Jha is an Assistant Editor with The Times of India. Since ...
Read MoreBagish Jha is an Assistant Editor with The Times of India. Since 2015, he has been covering infrastructure, governance, administration, judiciary, taxation, and public issues, with a strong focus on South Haryana. His journalistic journey began in Nagpur, and prior to his current role in the National Capital Region, he reported extensively from Indore and across Madhya Pradesh. An alumnus of Nagpur University, Jha’s reporting consistently highlights systemic irregularities and gaps in government policies, with a particular focus on their impact on citizens. Through his work, he continues to serve as a vital link between policy and people, striving to make governance more transparent and accountable.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment