New Delhi: Two men were arrested on Friday for violating the beef ban - the first such instance since the law came into force on earlier this month.
Hameed alias Landi and Rashid alias Pandiya were arrested for allegedly slaughtering a calf in Nashik. They are in custody. On Wednesday, the police had registered a case against all three after reportedly finding 150 kg of beef worth Rs.35,000.
Search is on for a third suspect, Asif Talathi.
The men have been booked under the newly amended Maharashtra Animal Prevention (Amendment) Act,1995. They face five years in prison and a fine of Rs. 10,000, if convicted.
The new law that came into force on March 4 bans the slaughter of calves and bullocks and allows only the consumption of buffaloes, which give inferior quality beef.
The ban has been sharply criticised on social media and there have been many protests against it. Beef traders claim they will lose their jobs and also that the cost of other meat will shoot up.
Beef costs almost a third of mutton and is a popular red meat choice. Buffalo meat is largely exported and only eaten by 25 per cent of beef eaters.