The Haryana government has approved stricter provisions under a 2015 cow slaughter act that empower police to seize vehicles involved in the transportation of animals for slaughter and search premises used for such purposes.

A cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave its nod to an amendment in the four-year-old law to make it “more stringent and practical”, an official release said.

The new bill will be called the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The Haryana Assembly had passed the original bill on March 16, 2015, which later became an act that banned slaughter of cows and sale of beef in the state.

The 2015 act says anyone found slaughtering a cow or selling beef can be jailed for three to 10 years, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Offenders can be jailed for an additional year if they fail to pay the fine.

Haryana has around three lakh cows in its 400 gaushalas (shelters), around 1.5 lakh stray cows and 18 lakh at homes.

The 2015 act also bans sale of canned beef, which was legal during the tenure of the previous government in the state.

According to the new amendment, a police officer not below the rank of sub-inspector or any person authorised by the government can enter, stop and search any vehicle used or intended to be used for sale of cows or beef, the release said.

“He may seize cows or beef along with the vehicle in which the animal or its flesh is found and, thereafter, take all measures necessary for securing the production of the cows or beef so seized in a court,” the amendment says.

The authorised person can enter and search any premises used or intended to be used for slaughter of cows and seize the animals or beef and collect evidence from the spot, including instruments and documents.

Whenever an offence punishable under the act is committed, a report without unreasonable delay has to be submitted to the competent authority, the new amendment says.