The Mota Khakivad locality in Amreli town now enjoys a dubious fame. On November 11, it made “history” when three members of a family here were sentenced to life for cow slaughter, along with a collective fine of over Rs 18 lakh.

In the past three years, Amreli district has seen 24 convicted in at least 14 cases under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act. But the case of the Solankis stands out for the length of the sentence, and for involving three members of one family – brothers Kasim and Akram, 20 and 30 years of age, respectively, and their uncle Satar, 52.

In Mota Khatkivad, a locality with a mixed population of Muslims and Hindus and many such as the Solankis involved traditionally in butchery (giving the area its name), neighbours turn down queries with, “We do not know anything”.

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