By Maktoob
The Gujarat High Court has denied bail to a Muslim man accused of cow slaughter and beef transportation, observing that he had allegedly continued committing similar offences despite facing eight previous criminal cases of a similar nature.
Justice Hasmukh D. Suthar passed the order on June 18 while rejecting the regular bail application of Mohammad Aarif Abdul Razak Samol, who has been in judicial custody since January 3, 2026, in connection with an FIR registered at the Godhra Town B Division Police Station in Panchmahal district under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Gujarat Police Act, Bar & Bench reported.
According to the prosecution, police received specific information on December 1, 2025, that Samol had transported suspected beef in a car and stored it in a plot adjacent to his residence.
During a raid, officers allegedly recovered around 23 kilograms of suspected beef, along with a knife, weighing scale and other materials allegedly used for slaughtering and selling beef. Police further alleged that three co-accused fled the spot and are yet to be arrested.
Seeking bail, Samol argued that the investigation had been completed, the chargesheet had already been filed and nothing remained to be recovered from him.
He also submitted that the trial was likely to take considerable time. The prosecution opposed the plea, contending that he was a habitual offender with eight previous criminal cases involving similar allegations and had continued engaging in such activities despite being granted bail in earlier cases.
After examining the material on record, the Court noted that the applicant had eight criminal antecedents of a similar nature and observed that the prosecution had specifically alleged he continued committing similar offences after being released on bail in previous cases.
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