16 arrested under Assam Cattle Preservation Act for illegal slaughter during Eid
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16 arrested under Assam Cattle Preservation Act for illegal slaughter during Eid
At least 16 people were arrested under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, for alleged illegal slaughtering of cattle in the state during Eid-ul-Zuha. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said suspected body parts of slaughtered cows were found in multiple locations, including near Guwahati’s Cotton University. He said police discovered five illegal slaughter sites in Cachar and Sribhumi. In August 2021, the Himanta Sarma-led Assam cabinet passed a cattle preservation law of 1950. As per the new Act, cattle slaughter and the sale of beef within a five-kilometre radius of a temple or satra is illegal. These activities are also illegal in areas where Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs are in the majority.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said multiple incidents of cattle slaughter, in violation of existing legal provisions, and recovery of cattle parts were reported from five Assam districts, including Kamrup Metro, Dhubri, Hojai, Cachar, and Sribhumi.
He said suspected body parts of slaughtered cows were found in multiple locations, including near Guwahati’s Cotton University, and police discovered five illegal slaughter sites in Cachar and Sribhumi. “While our Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, it equally upholds the rule of law and public order. But during this year’s Eid-ul-Zuha, illegal cattle slaughter and recovery of cattle parts were reported from multiple locations,” he added.
Around 16 individuals were arrested separately in Cachar and Sribhumi districts between Saturday and Sunday, police said.
Also Read: Assam’s beef ban: The laws, and history of cow protection in India, explained
“We arrested seven individuals for their involvement in illegal cow slaughterings under Section 196 (acts to promote hatred based on religion, race, language, or other grounds), 299 (culpable homicide), 325 (killing, poisoning, maiming, or rendering useless any animal), 3(5) (criminal acts committed by several persons with a common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 13(1) of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021. Further investigation is going on,” superintendent of police (SP) of Sribhumi Partha Pratim Das said.
Additional SP (Crime) of Cachar district, Rajat Pal, said that acting on complaints received from Gumrah, Silchar, and Lakhipur, police arrested nine individuals. “The law and order situation in the district is normal now,” he said.
In August 2021, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam cabinet passed the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, replacing a cattle preservation law of 1950.
As per the new Act, cattle slaughter and the sale of beef within a five-kilometre radius of a temple or satra (Assamese religious sites) is illegal. These activities are also illegal in areas where Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs are in the majority.
Also Read: What is the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021: An explainer
In December last year, the state government announced some additional restrictions on beef consumption and, according to the chief minister, beef consumption in public places — including restaurants, hotels, public events, and community festivals — is restricted and illegal in Assam.
During Eid-ul-Zuha on Saturday, several organisations, including Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), staged protests against the alleged illegal cow slaughters in Cachar and Sribhumi.
“Open cow slaughter in Hindu-majority areas is banned in Assam but still some people try this. This time we refrained from going to those areas physically. Rather, we informed the police and they acted immediately,” Mithun Nath from VHP said.
16 arrested in Assam for illegal cattle slaughter during Eid
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that 16 individuals have been arrested across the state in connection with alleged illegal cattle slaughter during Eid-ul-Zuha celebrations. cattle remains were recovered from various locations in Assam, with five unauthorised slaughter sites identified in the Barak Valley. Additional reports cited the discovery of cattle parts in areas including Cotton University in Kamrup (Metro), Dhubri, Hojai, and Bagargool in Sribhumi.Under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, cattle slaughter is prohibited in areas where Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs form a majority.
CM Sarma stated that cattle remains were recovered from various locations in Assam, with five unauthorised slaughter sites identified in the Barak Valley. These were located in Gumrah, Silchar, and Lakhipur in Cachar district, and Badarpur and Banga in Karimganj district.
The arrests include nine people from Cachar and seven from Sribhumi. Additional reports cited the discovery of cattle parts in areas including Cotton University in Kamrup (Metro), Dhubri, Hojai, and Bagargool in Sribhumi.
“While our Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, it equally upholds the rule of law and public order,” CM Sarma wrote on social media platform X.
“Disturbing incidents of illegal cattle slaughter and recovery of cattle parts were reported from multiple locations across Assam.”
CM Sarma emphasised that the state is committed to preserving communal harmony, but warned that violations of the law, regardless of religious background, would invite strict action.
Under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, cattle slaughter is prohibited in areas where Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs form a majority, and within five kilometres of temples or Vaishnavite monasteries (satras).
While beef consumption is not illegal, the Act imposes stringent restrictions on slaughter and sale.
Tensions flared in Hojai on Sunday, following claims that meat pieces were found in Hindu residential areas on Saturday night.
In response, members of the Hindu community staged a road blockade in the Barpukhuri area.
A counter-protest by Muslims occurred in Bhuyanpatty, leading to a confrontation with police. Authorities used mild force to disperse the crowd, a senior police official said.
“The situation is now under control, with additional paramilitary forces deployed. We are closely monitoring developments,” the official added.
Meanwhile, protests continue in Barpukhuri, where efforts are ongoing to negotiate with demonstrators. Residents in Hojai allege that meat was deliberately thrown into their premises, though police have not confirmed these claims.
In Guwahati, a piece of meat was reportedly found wrapped in polythene near the Cotton University campus.
Police have collected the sample for forensic testing. A similar incident was reported in Nalia, Dhubri district, where suspected meat pieces were discovered near a temple.
Authorities said the material was also sent for examination and that the situation in the area remains peaceful.