Mumbai: Parel vet hospital to issue 'natural' death certificate to cows

Cows seen at the Shree Gopala Goshala in Bhiwandi in September 2015 after the Maharashtra government banned slaughter of cows and possession of beef. Pic/Getty Images

A veterinary hospital in Parel is providing death certificates for cows after conducting post-mortems. To prevent illegal slaughter and sale of beef, the police have kept strict vigil on the transport of dead cattle, often leading to the harassment of cow owners while transporting carcasses for their last rights, also in the case of death by natural causes. The Bai Sakerbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals has decided to address this social challenge.

The Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals comes across 2-3 such cases in a week. Generally, the post-mortem is conducted and the bodies are released after providing the autopsy report. But henceforth, the owner would also be given a death certificate in natural deaths.

Pic/Nimesh Dave

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"We have often noticed that cow owners have difficulty while cremation due to the religious and political beliefs related to cow slaughter," said a senior official from the hospital. "When police find them, they are not only stopped but also face questioning. After discussions, we have decided to hand over a dead certificate for the natural death of a cow. This would help in lessening the burden of the burial." Dr JC Khanna, dean of the hospital, also confirmed the development.

Under Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, "No person can transport or export a cow for the purpose of slaughter with the knowledge that it will be or is likely to be slaughtered." If anyone is found violating the act, they can be imprisoned up to 5 years or given a fine, which may extend to Rs 10,000. New York-based Human Rights Watch that about 280 people have been injured in more than 100 attacks between May 2015 and December 2018 in relation to cow-related violence in India.

280
The no. of people who have been injured in India in relation to cow-related violence

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