Ahmedabad court sentences three men to 8-year jail for illegal beef possession, sale

A City Civil and Sessions Court in Ahmedabad sentenced three men to eight years of rigorous imprisonment for the illegal possession and sale of beef. The court termed it an anti-social offence.  

The court found accused Samir Sheikh, Zafarkhan Pathan, and Mohamadazmal Sheikh guilty under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of ₹5,00,000 on each convict.

The case dates back to May 4, 2019, when a police team raided a shop in the Rakhial area. Authorities recovered approximately 250 kg of meat and an iron cleaver. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) testing confirmed that the samples were indeed beef. While the defence argued that the police were "interested witnesses”, the court ruled that the testimony of the raiding party was consistent and supported by scientific evidence.  

While the first three accused were caught on-site, the court acquitted two others—Kalamhussein Qureshi and Zishan  Qureshi—granting them the benefit of doubt.