Bhopal: BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has brought in a stringent law against cow slaughter which has raised the jail term from the current three years to seven years for violators.
The Madhya Pradesh Cow Progeny Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Bill has received the Presidential assent following which it has become an Act, an official release said on Tuesday. “In fulfilment of its commitment to protecting and conserving cow progeny, the state government had passed the amendment bill in the state Assembly in 2010 to remove the flaws in the Madhya Pradesh Gauvansh Pratishedh Adhiniyam 2004,” the release said.
The Act also obviated the difficulties and made the provisions more stringent. With the enforcement of the amended Act, now the responsibility of proving the prosecution wrong would lie with the accused in cases of cow slaughter. Similarly, those found guilty of cow slaughter would be liable to imprisonment for seven years instead of present three years and a minimum fine of Rs 5,000 which may be increased by the court.
The amended Act provides that no person shall slaughter or cause to be slaughtered or offer for slaughter any cow progeny by any means.
Besides, no person, including transporter, shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any cow progeny himself or by his agent, servant or by any other person acting on his behalf within the state or outside the state for the purpose of its slaughter, in contravention of the provisions of the Act or with the knowledge that it will be or is likely to be slaughtered. The amended Act also has provisions for specifying necessary actions for feeding and rearing cow progeny.
Under the Act, any police officer not below the rank of head constable or any person authorised by competent authority shall have the power of entry, inspection, search and seizure and to present the case in the court.
The state government had forwarded the amendment Bill on September 3, 2010 to the Union Home Ministry for Presidential nod. The assent was received on December 22, 2011. The amended Act has been published in the extraordinary gazette of Madhya Pradesh on December 31, 2011. (PTI)