Cow slaughter and trafficking: Repeat offenders will be booked under MCOCA, says Fadnavis

The Maharashtra CM was responding to NCP's Sangram Jagtap who raised the issue in the Assembly, through a calling-attention notice.

Mumbai: The stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) will be invoked against repeat offenders in cases of cow-slaughter and cow trafficking, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday told the legislative assembly here.

Sangram Jagtap of the NCP raised the issue through a calling-attention notice, and mentioned one Atiq Qureshi who is an accused in several such cases, while demanding stringent action.

Pankaj Bhoyar, Minister of State for Home (Rural), assured that a stern action would be taken against Qureshi who has 20 cases of cow trafficking registered against him in Ahilyanagar district.

He was arrested on January 20 and let off on bail on March 1, the minister said.

Fadnavis, who handles the Home department, intervened to state that instructions will be given to the police to press MCOCA charges against repeat offenders in these cases.