00:00Let's from there today end with a very special story.
00:03Three men sentenced to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case in Gujarat.
00:07But it is the court's reasoning for sentencing them that has now drawn attention.
00:12A Gujarat court cited the Vedas and the Manusmriti while sentencing the three accused to life imprisonment,
00:18invoking religious beliefs about the cow to underline the severity of the crime.
00:24Take a look.
00:30Three men, a cow slaughter case and a life sentence.
00:34But it is not just the punishment that has put this Gujarat court's verdict in focus.
00:39It is the scriptures the judge cited while delivering it.
00:44The case dates back to August 2024.
00:48Police raided a location in Jamla village, seizing 277 kilograms of beef, sharp weapons and a wagon.
00:56The three men, according to reports, had bought old and non-milking cattle at low prices and slaughtered them for
01:04business.
01:05Of the six accused, one died during the proceedings and two were acquitted.
01:10The remaining three, all Muslims, were convicted.
01:13The Kalol court sentenced each to rigorous imprisonment for life and imposed a fine of three lakh rupees.
01:21The three accused were convicted under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, among other laws.
01:29But the judgment went beyond the legal provisions.
01:32In its observations, the court cited the Vedas and the Manusmriti invoking the religious significance of cows in Hinduism.
01:41It referred to cows as the mother of the universe and noted the belief that 33 crore deities reside in
01:49them.
01:50Referring to Manusmriti, the court said the text recognizes cows not as merely animals but as equals and is the
01:59axis of dharma or Hinduism.
02:01The court also said the accused knew cows were considered mothers, yet went ahead with the slaughter.
02:08If not punished, mother cows will go extinct.
02:11That was the court's warning while convicting the accused.
02:37Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sangvi welcomed the ruling.
02:41The verdict has now put the spotlight not just on the severity of Gujarat's cow protection law,
02:46but also on the role religious scriptures played in the court's reasoning.
02:51With Brijes Doshi, Bureau Report, India Today.
