Nearly 4k arrested in last 6 months in cow slaughtering and smuggling cases: Official

In a special drive launched from January 1, this year, the Uttar Pradesh police lodged a total of 1,324 cases and arrested 3,867 people involved in either cow slaughter or smuggling or both till June 8, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said.In 2,197 cases, the Gangsters Act and in 44 others, the NSA has been invoked, he said, adding in 867 cases, charge-sheets have already been filed.

In line with the Uttar Pradesh government's zero tolerance policy against smuggling and slaughtering of cows, police have arrested 3,867 in the state in last six months, invoking stringent National Security Act in 44 cases, an official said on Wednesday. In a special drive launched from January 1, this year, the Uttar Pradesh police lodged a total of 1,324 cases and arrested 3,867 people involved in either cow slaughter or smuggling or both till June 8, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said.

In 2,197 cases, the Gangsters Act and in 44 others, the NSA has been invoked, he said, adding in 867 cases, charge-sheets have already been filed. In 1,832 cases the Goonda Act has been invoked while in 421 others "history sheets" have been opened.

Awasthi apprised reporters of stringent measures against cow smugglers and slaughterers after the Uttar Pradesh government approved a draft Uttar Pradesh Cow Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The draft ordinance was approved in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Aimed at protecting cows and curb their slaughtering, the draft ordinance has proposed a jail term up to ten years and fine up to Rs five lakh for the crime, Awasthi said.

The UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 aims at making the existing law (Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955) more robust and effective, and to completely stop cow slaughter in the state, said ACS (Home). The Cabinet had noted that since the state's economy depends on agriculture, cow and other cattle play an important role in its economy and social structure, Awasthi said.