Mumbai: Police in one Indian state have told cattle owners to submit photographs of their farm animals to help them impose a new ban on selling beef.
Officers of the city of Malegaon belongs to the western Maharashtra state, said that the photos were needed for reference in case a criminal case occurred under the new law introduced to ban the slaughter of all cows.
The law is also applicable to ban their sale and consumption of their meat.
The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act has been come into force on 2 March this year after a duration of 19 years.
Police officers said that they were keeping the photographs of the livestock for verification purposes only.
According to police official Mahesh Sawai, the livestock photo would enable them to establish truth, in case any illegal activities were taken place.
The need for photographic evidence aroused after three people were charged locally against selling beef, under the new law.
While the slaughter of cows was banned in Maharashtra state in 1976, the new law is sufficient to ban the slaughter of bulls and bullocks as well. Beef from buffalo is still legal.
Those convicted will face a fine and imprisonment up to five years.

Video on beef ban in Maharashtra