Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that 16 individuals have been arrested across the state for alleged illegal cattle slaughter during Eid-ul-Adha on June 7, 2025. The arrests were made under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021.
The 16 arrests were made in various districts of Assam, including Kamrup Metro, Dhubri, Hojai, Cachar, and Sribhumi. Specifically, police reported arresting seven individuals in Sribhumi and nine in the Cachar district.
Chief Minister Sarma stated that five illegal cattle slaughter sites were uncovered during the festival, all located in southern Assam’s Barak Valley. Suspected body parts of slaughtered cows were also reportedly found in multiple locations, including near Guwahati’s Cotton University, he claimed.
The arrests stem from alleged violations of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021. This stringent act, passed by the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government in August 2021, replaced a 1950 cattle preservation law.
Cows and their calves cannot be slaughtered, according to this act. Cattle aged above 14 years are otherwise permitted to be slaughtered with permission from authorities and at a licensed slaughterhouse after government veterinary officers issue fitness certificates.
According to this act, the sale of beef is illegal within a five-kilometre radius of a temple, satra (Assamese religious sites), or other Hindu religious institutions. It is also illegal in areas predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and other non-beef-eating communities.
In December last year, the state government also announced additional restrictions, stating that beef consumption in public places, including restaurants, hotels, public events, and community festivals, is restricted and illegal in Assam.
Himanta Biswa Sarma who is accused of implementing anti-Muslim policies in the state, emphasised that while the Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, it also upholds the rule of law and public order. He noted that despite this, illegal cattle slaughter and the recovery of cattle parts were reported from various locations during Eid al-Adha.
Police acted on complaints received from areas like Gumrah, Silchar, and Lakhipur. Investigations are ongoing, with arrests made under various sections, including those related to promoting hatred based on religion and criminal acts involving animal harm, he said.
Several Hindutva organisations, including Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), reportedly staged protests against the alleged illegal cow slaughter in Cachar and Sribhumi during the festival. They stated that they informed the police, who then took action.
The incident highlights the ongoing enforcement of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act and the government’s stance on regulating cattle slaughter in the state, particularly during Muslim festivals.
