Centre Proposes Ban on Cattle Slaughter, Beef in Lakshadweep

The violation of the law will carries the maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the draft states.

The Centre is proposing to impose a cattle slaughter ban in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the violation of which carries the maximum penalty of life imprisonment. 

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The Centre is proposing to impose a cattle slaughter ban in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the violation of which carries the maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The ban is being proposed on slaughter of cow, calf, bull and bullock, and includes transportation of the same for the purpose of slaughter, apart from storage and sale.

With this intent, the draft of the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, 2021 has been placed in the public domain inviting comments on or before 28 March.

The law shall come in to force on such date, as the Centre appoints by notification, in the Official Gazette.

Section 8 of the law states that it will impose a prohibition against selling or buying beef or beef products.

“No person shall directly or indirectly sell, keep, store, transport, offer or expose for sell or buy beef or beef products in any form,” the draft states.

It also adds that any vehicle used for the transportation of the same is liable to be seized by an authority.

It also specifies that ‘beef’ refers to the flesh of a cow, the calf of a cow, whether male or female and if male, a bull or a bullock.

The draft of the law also provides for the entry into and inspection of the premises wherein there is reason to suspect that any of the mentioned offences have been committed.

Conviction of the provision of Section 8 carries a punishment of imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years but shall not be less than seven years and with fine which may be extend to five lakh rupees but shall not be less than one lakh rupees.