Patna/Gaya: Police in Gaya, more accustomed to dealing with serious crimes and law-and-order challenges, have found themselves at the centre of an unusually bovine ownership dispute. A senior police officer has ordered a DNA test of a buffalo to help resolve a bitter claim over its ownership between two villagers.Inspector general (IG) of police Vikas Vaibhav has also directed Gaya (Rural) SP Divyanjali Jaiswal to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter. For now, the buffalo is at the house of Suraj Yadav, who claims to be its rightful owner.“A conflict has arisen over the ownership of the buffalo. Since both sides are claiming ownership of the animal, it has been decided to establish the ownership through scientific evidence. Its DNA test will help establish the genuine ownership by matching its DNA with its mother, currently being reared at someone else’s home,” Vaibhav told TOI on Wednesday.Police officials said the proposed DNA comparison is possible because the buffalo’s mother is alive and is currently being kept at another villager’s house. The DNA samples of the two animals will be compared as part of the investigation to help establish the claim of ownership, they said.The dispute began about a week ago when Suraj Yadav, a resident of Uttar village, lodged a complaint at Atri police station alleging that his buffalo had been stolen. During the investigation, police reportedly traced the animal to the house of Prakash Manjhi in nearby Nauranga village and handed it over to Suraj.The case, however, took an unexpected turn when Manjhi reached the police station and claimed that the buffalo belonged to him. Police then brought the animal from Suraj’s house and kept it at the police station for two days.A photograph of the buffalo inside the police station subsequently went viral. Following a fresh inquiry, police handed the animal back to Suraj. Manjhi, meanwhile, lodged an FIR at Atri police station against Suraj under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Bathani DSP Surendra Kumar said that during the verbal altercation over buffalo’s ownership, Suraj allegedly made casteist remarks against Manjhi, following which a case was registered under the relevant provisions.The matter reached the IG’s office on Tuesday when former RJD legislator Ajay Yadav met Vaibhav and urged him to examine the dispute.“This was a simple issue about the ownership of the buffalo but the case was lodged against Suraj under various sections of SC/ST Act. He could buy a new buffalo for the amount of money it would cost him to fight the case,” the former MLA told reporters.The buffalo dispute is not the first time an animal has brought Bihar police an unusual complaint.A couple of years ago, a man in Purnia approached a police station seeking to have an ox “arrested” after it allegedly chased him, hit him with its horns and knocked him to the ground, leaving him hospitalised. He later withdrew the complaint after police called both sides to the station and persuaded them to reach a compromise.In another case from the same district, police investigated the deaths of three baby goats after their mother was allegedly captured and confined in a room.
