Cow pious… slaughter can have severe repercussions: Punjab & Haryana HC
Judge said the act of repeatedly slaughtering cows is not only a legal violation but an affront to the cultural fabric and constitutional values of the country.
4 min read
Justice Moudgil underlined the cow’s special place in Indian society by citing the Supreme Court judgment.The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused anticipatory bail to Aasif, an accused in a cow slaughter case from Nuh, calling him a “habitual offender” who misused earlier judicial leniency. Justice Sandeep Moudgil, in a strongly worded order, said the act of repeatedly slaughtering cows is not only a legal violation but an affront to the cultural fabric and constitutional values of the country.
“The present offence, apart from its legal implications, is laden with emotional and cultural undertones, given the unique status of the cow in Indian society,” the court observed, while dismissing Aasif’s plea under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
The FIR (No. 111) was registered on April 3, 2025, at Police Station Sadar Nuh after a police team intercepted a Tata Intra vehicle near Palla turn on the Nuh-Tawadu Road. According to the complaint, the police acted on a tip-off that three men, namely, Tasleem, Aman and Aasif, were transporting cows to Rajasthan for slaughter.
During the chase, Tasleem fell off his motorcycle and was caught. Aman, who was driving the vehicle, was also arrested. Aasif, however, allegedly escaped by jumping out of the conductor’s side. Inside the vehicle, police found two hungry and dehydrated cows packed in the cabin, along with a knife and an axe, which were seized.
The men were booked under the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. While Aman was granted regular bail after custodial interrogation, Aasif remained on the run and later moved the High Court seeking pre-arrest protection, claiming false implication and parity with Aman.
The court rejected Aasif’s plea, saying anticipatory bail cannot be granted to those who repeatedly flout the law.
“The protection under Section 482 BNSS is not to provide sanctuary to those who repeatedly violate the law with impunity,” Justice Moudgil said.
He noted that Aasif was already facing three similar FIRs and had “misused the concession of bail granted earlier.” The judge drew on Supreme Court precedent in Lavesh v. State (NCT of Delhi) (2012), which held that habitual offenders are not entitled to anticipatory bail.
“Such acts are in conscious defiance of the existing law and in utter disregard to the sentiments of the community at large… The alleged act of cow slaughter committed repeatedly, deliberately and provocatively strikes at the core of constitutional morality and social order,” the order stated.
Cow’s status and constitutional ethos
Justice Moudgil underlined the cow’s special place in Indian society by citing the Supreme Court judgment in State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat (2005). “The cow is not only a pious animal but also an integral part of India’s agrarian economy,” the judge quoted.
He further referred to Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, which makes it a fundamental duty of every citizen “to show compassion to all living creatures.” “The Constitution does not merely protect rights in abstraction; it seeks to build a just, compassionate and cohesive society,” the court said.
The order also warned against the law being treated casually in a pluralistic society: “Certain acts, while otherwise private, can have severe repercussions on public peace when they offend the deeply held beliefs of a significant population group.”
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