Chandigarh: After Maharashtra, Haryana passed a much more stringent bill banning sale of beef.
According to the legislation, the rigorous imprisonment for selling beef would be five years - same as that in Maharashtra - and the fine of up to Rs 50,000.
The western state has kept it at Rs 10,000. In case the convict fails to pay the fine, in Haryana he/she will have to spend up to one year more in jail. The Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill 2015, passed by the assembly unanimously, bans sale of all kinds of beef.
As per the law in force so far, sale of beef was banned but there was no prohibition on packaged beef. This distinction has also been removed. "No person shall sell or offer for sale or cause to be sold beef or beef products..," reads the bill, which was tabled in the assembly by animal husbandry minister Om Prakash Dhankar.
According to the bill, a person convicted of cow slaughter can be sentenced up to 10 years in jail, apart from a fine of up to Rs 100,000. There is provision of additional imprisonment of up to one year if the fine is not paid.
The bill makes both violations - cow slaughter and beef sale - non-bailable. During the trial for cow slaughter and sale of beef, the burden of proving the innocence would be on the accused, much like other most stringent laws like the Dowry Act.
The bill also mentions that any person found indulging in export of cow for the purpose of slaughter either directly or through his agent can be sentenced up to seven years of jail term with a fine of up to Rs 70,000.
Any person desiring to export cows out of the state will have to apply for a permit from the government stating the reasons for which they are to be exported along with the exact number of cows and the name of the state to which they are proposed to be sent. Such persons will also file a declaration that cows for which permit of export is required will not be slaughtered. However, no permit for export of cows will be issued for a state where cow slaughter is not banned.
