Holy cow! Next they’ll want hoofprints

POLICE in a west Indian city have asked cattle owners to supply photographs of their animals to help enforce the state’s tough new ban on slaughtering the beasts, an officer said this week.

Nearly 100 farmers and other owners in Malegaon have so far complied with the request for mugshots along with dossiers on the cattle, said Sunil Kadasne, additional superintendent of the city.

“After the new law, commercial slaughter has largely stopped but this programme will help us to stop all killing by helping trace any animal thefts faster,” said Kadasne.

The Maharashtra state government introduced a ban last month on killing and selling cows, while even possession of beef could land you in jail for five years.

Cows in Hindu-majority India are considered sacred, and several oth- er states also ban their slaughter.

Kadasne said the request for information on cattle, which includes supplying purchase records and reasons for ownership, were also aimed at defusing possible tensions between Muslims and Hindus in the area. “Once we get most of the cattle recorded, it will be easy to squash complaints looking to create communal mischief,” Kadasne said.