Cow a moving deity; atomic radiation doesn't impact houses made of cow dung: Gujarat Judge gives man life term for cow smuggling

Observing that cows are "significant" for resolving problems plaguing the world, a Gujarat judge sentenced a 22-year-old Maharashtra man to life imprisonment as he was was guilty of illegal cow transportation.

The sessions court judge in Gujarat's Tapi district stressed on the need to protect cows in the country, claimed in the judgement written in Gujarati that "Science has proved that atomic radiation doesn't impact houses made of cow dung" and "drinking cow urine can cure many incurable diseases". Sessions judge Samir Vyas had observed these in November last year while sentencing the 22-year-old for transporting cows and bullocks from Gujarat to Maharashtra in violation of various laws. The order was made available recently.

The 24-page judgement begins with the judge's observation describing the "importance of cows" for the whole universe. It also rues that "India has lost 75 per cent of godhan (cattle wealth), and only 25 per cent remains. "A time will come when people will forget how to draw pictures of cows," the court remarked.

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The judgement reads, "Cow is not just an animal but a mother... There is none as grateful as a cow. A cow is a moving deity which has 68 crore pilgrimages and 33 crore gods. The benevolence of a cow in the entire universe can't be described. The day when not even a drop of cow blood falls on the earth, problems of the world will be solved, and the world will be blessed. There are a lot of talks on protection and conservation of cows but not implemented in reality. The cases of cow slaughter and their illegal transportation are rampant which is a shame for a civilised society (sic)."

The sessions judge Samir Vinodchandra Vyas, district court, Tapi in south Gujarat, has described the "importance of cows" in the first four paragraphs of his judgement to say "religions are born out of cows".

Quoting Sanskrit slokas, the judge said, "Where cows are happy, wealth is gained, but when cows are sad, the wealth disappears."

After these observations, the court gave details of the case against Mohammed Amin Arif Anjum. Anjum, a resident of Nashik district, was arrested in August 2020 for illegally transporting 12 cows and their four progeny in a truck from Gujarat to Maharashtra. An FIR was registered with Nizar police station in Tapi district. He was booked under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2011, and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, among other charges.

During the hearing, Anjum pleaded with the court to give him lesser punishment because he was unmarried, his parents were dead, and he was responsible for taking care of his younger sister. He told the court that he didn't have any criminal antecedents. It was also highlighted that the special public prosecutor had resigned from the case long back, and the government didn't appoint a new one. He was in jail under judicial custody for a long time.

The court held that evidence proved beyond doubt that Anjum was involved in the illegal transportation of cows which were meant to be slaughtered. The court said that justice could be delivered only by giving him the maximum punishment of life imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh as a fine.