The Union Cabinet on Monday cleared a bill seeking to ban cow slaughter.

The bill on Prevention of Cruelty to Cow is likely to be introduced in the current session of Parliament, official sources said.

The Cabinet also approved a bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent witnesses from turning hostile.

"Such witnesses who turn hostile should also face punishment... this is one of the highlights of the proposed bill," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said after the Cabinet meeting.

Another highlight of the bill will be to make it compulsory for all statements by witnesses to be recorded in front of a magistrate instead of police.