Gujarat Governor O P Kohli today gave his assent to a bill providing for a sentence up to life term for slaughtering cow and up to ten years in jail for transporting beef in the state.
The governor assented to the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2017, passed by the state assembly on March 31.
"The Governor has signed the bill. The Act will come into force soon," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja told PTI.
The bill, which amends the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act of 2011, proposes a punishment ranging from ten years in jail to the life sentence for "slaughter of bovines, including cows, calves, bulls and bullocks."
Under the 2011 Act, the maximum punishment is seven years' prison term and the minimum is for three years.
The new law also proposes imprisonment ranging from seven years to ten years for transportation, sale and storage of beef. Earlier, the maximum punishment for this offence was three years.
The vehicles used for transportation shall be confiscated permanently, the bill says while the present law only provides for confiscation of vehicle for six months or until the court orders its release.
The new law also makes all the offences involving bovine slaughtering and beef transportation etc non-bailable.
In 2011, when Narendra Modi was the state chief minister, the Gujarat government had imposed a complete ban on cow slaughter by amending the act.