Three people from Nashik have had complaints registered against them by the Maharashtra Police for allegedly slaughtering two calves.
This is possibly the first case to be registered in the state following the new law, which bans cow and bullock slaughter.
The three accused, Asif Talathi, Hameed and Rashid are reportedly on the run. If convicted under the new law, they will face five years in prison with an additional fine of Rs 10,000.
According to reports, a Malegaon Police team claims to have seized 150 kilograms of beef, worth Rs 35,000, from them.
The police don’t yet have a confession or definite evidence of slaughter, but even possession of beef is a crime under the new law in Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra Government earlier this month banned beef slaughter and selling. The new Act will, however, allow slaughter of water buffaloes, which provides carabeef — generally seen as an inferior quality meat that makes up only 25% of the total beef market in the state.
Over 1,000 licensed shops that previously sold beef, have been affected in Mumbai alone by the new law.
India is the world’s second largest beef exporter and fifth biggest consumer, even though some Hindus views cows to be sacred. Several BJP leaders have recently been pushing for legal steps to ‘protect’ cow slaughter.
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