Ahmedabad, Nov. 13 -- Calling it a testament to its commitment to cow protection, the Gujarat government on Wednesday lauded a session court's recent decision to sentence three men to life imprisonment for cow slaughter. A government statement, released on Wednesday evening, said, "The ruling marks a significant milestone under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017..." The case unfolded following a police raid on November 6, 2023, in a residential area of Amreli, where authorities discovered evidence of illegal calf slaughter. Officers seized about 40 kilograms of meat, animal remains, including severed legs, knives, axes, a chopping block, weighing scales, waste, and a vehicle used in the operation, all pointing to an intent to profit from the prohibited act, the Amreli Sessions Court said on November 11. Special public prosecutor CB Mehta argued the act insulted Hindu religious sentiments and aimed at economic gain through illegal meat trade, noting one of the accused' prior conviction in a similar offence. Sessions judge Rizwana Bukhari, in an 81-page ruling, found the prosecution's case proven, relying on consistent witness accounts and forensic evidence, dismissing the defence's claims of fabricated evidence, emphasising the raid's legality and the deliberate nature of the crime. The accused - Kasimbhai Hajibhai Solanki (20), Satarbhai Ismailbhai Solanki (52), and Akrambhai Hajibhai Solanki (30), faced charges for offences that allegedly insulted religious sentiments and violated state laws....