Tuesday, April 19 2005 17:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Nearly seven years after Khursheed was convicted by a trial court for cow slaughter and sentenced to one-year imprisonment, the Supreme Court has upheld the punishment.

Dismissing an appeal filed by the accused challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order rejecting his plea against the trial court order, a Bench comprising Justice B P Singh and Justice S B Sinha directed the Gurgaon (in Haryana) police to take him into custody "immediately".

Cancelling the bail bonds of Khursheed, the Bench said "he should be forthwith taken into custody to serve out the remainder of the sentence."

He was convicted under the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act by the Judicial Magistrate at Nuh and sentenced to a year's simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 imposed.

Counsel for the accused submitted before the Court that the sentence was harsh in the facts and circumstances of the case and pleaded that the sentence be reduced to the period already undergone.

Rejecting the plea, the Bench said "having considered the facts and circumstances of the case and also taking note of the fact that the offence under Section 8 is punishable with a maximum of five years imprisonment, we do not feel persuaded to interfere with the quantum of sentence."