Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the plea filed by Samiuddin.
The gang has reportedly been involved in more than 100 cases of cattle theft and slaughter, targeting villages on the outskirts of the national capital.
A man and his sister- in-law were arrested on the charge of cow slaughter after police raided their home in neighbouring Shamli district and allegedly recovered beef.
The judgement comes in the wake of the Centre’s order on ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, which is facing a strong opposition by the state governments of Kerala, Karnataka and Tripura.
The district authorities and police conducted a joint raid and reportedly shut down the slaughterhouses of those who were operating slaughterhouses without licenses.
Mayawati said, “If the central government and the state government had taken steps against this violence by self-styled cow protectors or gau rakshaks, then the Supreme Court may not have interfered in such a matter.”
The top court’s directive came after a petition was filed by activist Tehseen Poonawalla seeking ban on Gau Rakshaks and to probe all incidents of cow vigilantism in these states.
With this Act, cow slaughter became a non-bailable offence in the state. Hitherto, if a person was found in possession of beef, he could face a jail-term ranging from seven to 10 years.
The BJP manifesto for the assembly polls had said that all illegal slaughter houses would be closed and there would be a blanket ban on all mechanised slaughter houses.
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