Mota Khakivad in Amreli town of Gujarat has been in the news for reasons that should make its residents pale in the face. Life in the town hasn’t been the same after three members of the Solanki family received life sentences on November 11 for cow slaughter. The court also ordered them to pay a cumulative fine exceeding Rs 18 lakh. The general sentiment is that the verdict is harsh.

For the uninitiated, the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act prohibits cow slaughter. Even the sale of cow meat is banned in the state. Eight years ago, the BJP increased the maximum punishment for cow slaughter from seven years to life imprisonment. Amreli district has seen 24 convictions in at least 14 cases under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act in the last three years.

The Solanki case stands out for the length of the sentence and because it involves three members of one family. The convicts are brothers Kasim, 20, and Akram, 30, and their uncle Satar, 52.

The locality has a mixed Hindu-Muslim population and many residents, including the Solankis, traditionally worked as butchers. Neighbours refused to comment, saying they knew nothing. The family declined to talk, saying they feared consequences.

The report added that a local who knows them said the three men lived together. He said Kasim was unmarried, while Akram had a wife and four children. He added that the family was in shock. He remarked that people usually get life imprisonment for killing a human being, yet here three people were jailed for killing a calf. He also said he did not know how the family would raise Rs 18 lakh or pursue an appeal now that its main earners were in jail.

Akram had already been sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 in an earlier case under the Act. He was out on bail in that case when he was arrested again.

According to police, the case began on November 6, 2023. Officers raided the Solanki home after a tip-off about cow slaughter and beef sale. They allegedly found beef, remains of a slaughtered calf and slaughter equipment.

A veterinary doctor and forensic tests later confirmed the meat was from a cow.

The Amreli Sessions Court convicted the trio not only under the Animal Preservation Act, it also held them guilty of destroying an object sacred to a class of people with the intention of insulting their religion and of mischief by killing or maiming cattle. The court fined each of them Rs 6.08 lakh and said they would face more jail time if they failed to pay.

The Gujarat government called the order historic, the report mentioned. It said the judgment reflected its commitment to cow protection.

Special Public Prosecutor Chandresh Mehta, who is associated with the VHP, has described the ruling as a landmark. Sharing his views with the media outlet, he said the result came from a timely tip-off, an effective police raid, strong evidence, good investigation and reliable witnesses. He hoped the verdict would act as a strong deterrent.

Mehta said Amreli’s high conviction rate under the Act was linked to his dedication and attention to detail. Nine of these convictions, including the Solanki case, were delivered by Sessions Judge Rizvana Bukhari. He said cow slaughter had fallen sharply in the district, with only one or two cases reported in the last two years. According to him, the convictions had created fear among offenders.

Mota Khakivad falls in Ward No. 9 of the Amreli Municipality. Corporator Iqbal Bilakhiya told the newspaper that he agreed with the Solankis’ conviction.

But he added that many other convictions were not right. He said the government and police acted with prejudice under pressure from groups such as the VHP. He hoped appeals would overturn wrong decisions. He also said that if the government cared about cows, it should address the problem of stray cattle on city roads.

This story was originally published on Vibes of India.

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