Cattle 'Mugshots'

Image credit: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/02/asia/india-cow-mugshots/

Police in the Indian city of Malegaon, in the western state of Maharashtra, are requiring identification documents for an unusual group of residents: Cattle.

 

Following a state-wide ban on the sale and consumption of beef, authorities in the city have asked residents to take a 'mugshot' of their cattle and submit it to the police. Along with the photograph, the residents have to give information about their animal's 'unique features,' such as the colour, height, sex and length of horns.

 

"We are creating a database. If we get an information of a cow slaughter, we can quickly go to the resident's place and check whether it is there or not", Mahesh Sawai, Deputy Superintendent of Malegaon Police told CNN.

 

Police officials believe this is the only way to solve cow slaughter cases and enforce the law. [Note: Cattle slaughter in India is a taboo subject, because of the cow’s status as a sacred animal in Hinduism, the largest religion in the country].

 

The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, is said to be the toughest legislation governing the treatment of cattle in the country. Anyone breaking its rules faces a fine of 10,000 rupees and up to five years in prison.

 

The sale and consumption of beef is restricted in many Indian states including Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

 

Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyers said on Wednesday that the Pardons Board had rejected the petition from jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, (left) who is serving a five-year prison term for sodomy.

 

Anwar's last legal option is to file a judicial review with the Federal Court. His lawyers said no decision had been made yet on such an application.