GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government on Saturday brought into force the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act 2017, providing for life imprisonment for cow slaughter, which was passed in the budget session in March.
Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja told the media that the government was committed to protection of cow and would issue a notification to declare the rules shortly.
"We have come out with the strictest law for the protection of our sacred animal cow and the government is committed to its protection.
"There will be life imprisonment for those who slaughter cow in the state and the vehicles used in transportation of slaughtered cow or cows will be confiscated," he said.
Earlier, the violators of this law used to get three to seven years of jail and Rs 50,000 fine, but now, the minimum jail would be for 10 years up to life imprisonment and a fine up to Rs five lakh, Jadeja said.
The minister added that according to the provisions of new rules, illegal transportation of cow progeny or beef or products made from beef, or there storage or display would also attract jail term of seven to 10 years and fine from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh.
The crimes committed earlier for the violations of the Act were bailable, but the new rules make them enforceable by police and non-bailable offences.
"Mostly, the illegal transportation of beef and cows were done during late night and wee hours. Looking into that, we have made harsher rules and the vehicles transporting animals from 7 p.m to 5 a.m will be confiscated, even if they have the permit for transportation of such animals," added Jadeja.
The state government has also changed the way permits were issued.