Seven Years for Killing a Muslim, Life Imprisonment for Cow Slaughter in India
Two court rulings in India have sparked widespread debate and criticism. In Delhi, five men convicted in connection with the mob killing of a Muslim youth were sentenced to seven years in prison. Meanwhile, in Gujarat, three Muslim men were sentenced to life imprisonment for transporting beef. The contrasting verdicts have fuelled public anger on social media and raised questions about alleged disparities in the country’s justice system.
On Monday, a sessions court in Kalol, Gandhinagar district, Gujarat, sentenced three Muslim men to life imprisonment for allegedly transporting 277 kg of beef. The convicts were identified as Wasim Shahabuddin Qureshi, Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi and Ashfaq, alias Salman Bahelim.
While delivering the verdict, Judge B.R. Rajput quoted a verse from the ancient Sanskrit text Manusmriti, saying, “The cow is the mother of the entire universe and the foundation of universal welfare.” The court observed that protecting cows was linked to truth, duty and compassion.
In August 2024, police from Kalol police station arrested the men during a raid on a house in Jamla village. Gujarat’s Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who is associated with the state’s Hindutva politics, welcomed the verdict after the sentences were handed down under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act. However, the imposition of life imprisonment for an offence involving animal meat has raised concerns among human rights advocates locally and internationally.
Seven Years for Killing a Muslim Youth
Meanwhile, on Thursday, October 28, the Delhi High Court upheld the sentences of five men convicted in connection with the mob killing of a 22-year-old Muslim youth named Mohsin, also referred to as Manish in court records, during the 2020 Delhi riots.
Justice Madhu Jain upheld the trial court’s decision to sentence Aman Kashyap, Devender Kumar, Pradeep Rai, Ashish and Arun Kumar to seven years in prison.
On February 25, 2020, an armed mob chased and brutally beat Mohsin in Brijpuri, northeast Delhi. He later died in hospital. The men were convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rioting under Indian law. However, the sentences have prompted questions about the punishment imposed for the killing.
Another Mob Attack and Counter-Cases in Madhya Pradesh
Amid the controversy surrounding the two verdicts, three cattle traders—Abid Qureshi, Hasan Qureshi and Husain Khan—were reportedly attacked by a mob in Madhya Pradesh. While travelling to a local cowshed, they were allegedly tied up and severely beaten by a group of people.
Police registered an assault case against unidentified attackers. However, they also filed a case against the Muslim traders under animal cruelty laws.
The contrasting cases have triggered widespread criticism online. A widely shared social media post summed up the controversy by stating: “Seven years in prison for killing a Muslim, but life imprisonment for killing an animal.”
Critics argue that when the legal protection afforded to animals appears to outweigh the punishment imposed for taking a human life, questions arise about the impartiality of the justice system and its commitment to secular values.
