Ahmedabad: A city sessions court on Saturday sentenced three individuals to eight years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each after convicting them for selling beef. The court also acquitted two other accused persons who were charged with aiding the crime.
Case Details
According to the case details, Samir Sheikh, Zafarkhan Pathan, and Mohamed Azmal Sheikh were found selling beef in the Rakhial area on May 4, 2019. The police seized 250 kilograms of beef from them. Along with these three, two others — Kalam Hussain Qureshi and Zishan Qureshi — were also booked for aiding them in the crime. They were charged under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act (GPMC Act), and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Trial and Evidence
During the trial, additional public prosecutor Bhavesh Patel examined seven witnesses, including a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officer. The FSL officer testified that the analysis of meat samples confirmed it was beef. Based on this evidence, the court found Samir, Zafarkhan, and Mohamed Azmal guilty of possessing and selling beef. However, Kalam and Zishan were acquitted as the court found insufficient evidence that they had transported the beef stock in their vehicle.
Sentencing Remarks
While delivering the sentence, the court observed: “Given the nature of the case and the fact that it is an anti-social offence, there is no question of granting the benefit of probation... On one hand, the law demands a strict penalty to discourage the illegal possession of beef and to respect the legislature’s intent to protect cow progeny. On the other hand, since the accused come from a poor and disadvantaged background, the court should avoid a punishment that is unnecessarily soul-crushing.”
The court further noted: “In the present case, the offence committed by the accused was not done in the heat of passion or under provocation; rather, they were found selling beef in their possession, having acted deliberately for financial gain. Being adults, they were well aware of the nature of their actions and the potential consequences.”
The sentence serves as a strong deterrent against the illegal sale of beef in Gujarat, where the slaughter of cows and the sale of beef are strictly prohibited under state law.
