Now Reading: Bihar Police order DNA test on buffalo in ownership dispute
-
01
Bihar Police order DNA test on buffalo in ownership dispute
Bihar Police have ordered a DNA test on a buffalo to settle a dispute between two men who each claim to be its owner. The test will compare the animal's DNA with…
Bihar Police have ordered a DNA test on a buffalo to settle a dispute between two men who each claim to be its owner. The test will compare the animal's DNA with that of its alleged mother, which remains in the village of one of the claimants.
Inspector General of Police (Magadh range) Vikas Vaibhav instructed Gaya (Rural) SP Divyanjali Jaiswal to resolve the matter through scientific investigation. The dispute began when Suraj Yadav accused Prakash Manjhi of stealing the buffalo from his village. Yadav retrieved the animal from Manjhi's house, but Manjhi then lodged a complaint claiming ownership.
The case has drawn local political figures, with RJD leader and former MLA Ajay Kumar Yadav demanding an impartial probe. The zonal IG has ordered the DNA test to determine the rightful owner.
Indian Opinion Analysis
DNA testing in livestock ownership disputes is rare in India, though cattle identification through DNA profiling has been used in some cattle theft cases. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, livestock theft is a criminal offence, but civil ownership claims often hinge on documentary proof or witness testimony, not genetics. The test result, which could take weeks, will determine not just ownership but also the validity of the criminal complaint filed by Manjhi. The police will have to ensure chain-of-custody of the samples for the result to be admissible. The outcome is also likely to influence the political heat on local police, with two rival parties already taking sides.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
