India, Oct. 30 -- A Kalol court in Gandhinagar district has sentenced three men to rigorous life imprisonment for cow slaughter, citing the Manusmriti and other epics and observing that cows could become extinct if those responsible were not punished in accordance with the law.

Gujarat amended the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954, in 2011, under then chief minister Narendra Modi, imposing a complete ban on cow slaughter and prohibiting the sale, purchase and transportation of beef. The law was further tightened in 2017, when Gujarat became the first state in India to make cow slaughter punishable with life imprisonment. The amended law also prescribes seven to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1 lakh to Rs.5 lakh for offences ...