Maharashtra beef ban law: Maharashtra is set to introduce a law to put an end to beef smuggling after 57 tonnes of beef were seized from two containers intercepted at Lonavala in March this year. It was being transported to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) for export by the company Asian Foods Meat Agro. An FIR was filed under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The state also plans to initiate an SIT probe into the case.
2,849 cases, over 4,500 arrests
Replying to a Calling Attention Motion by BJP’s Shrikant Bharatiya in the legislative council, Minister of State, Home (Rural) Pankaj Bhoyar revealed that the state recorded 2,849 cases related to cow slaughter, transportation and sale of beef from 2022 to June 2025. He said 4,678 people were arrested during the same period, and 1,724 tonnes of beef were seized.
“There is a need to bring a special law in the winter session to stop beef smuggling. The Maharashtra government has brought a law to tackle the specific issue of ‘urban Naxals’. I want to request that, instead of existing schemes and laws, an independent act be brought to tackle the issue of beef smuggling,” said Bharatiya.
He further asked whether the MCOCA can be invoked against beef smugglers and sought action against illegal cow slaughterhouses in the state.
In response to this, the Minister said, “Repeat offenders arrested for the same crime (cow slaughter, smuggling and sale) for the third time will be slapped with the MCOCA. We will bring a law to curb cow smuggling, and it will be passed in the coming session.”
‘We will not tolerate beef smuggling’
Minister Bhoyar stressed that the government will not tolerate beef smuggling and vowed to trace the entire network behind it. He also said local police involvement, if any, would be thoroughly investigated.
“We will reach the root of it and even the local police will also be probed to check whether they are involved,” he said, adding that the government will not tolerate the smuggling of beef,” he said, before added that there will be an inquiry as to why the cases are slapped against gau rakshaks (cow protectors). The MoS also assured that they will not face any injustice.
Bhoyar said, “If cases have been filed against the gau rakshaks who do social work of this sort, those will be studied, and action will be initiated to withdraw those cases.”
(With inputs from agencies)
