UP: DNA test on 'stolen' buffalo to settle ownership battle
In a first-of-its-kind case, the police in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, have ordered a DNA test on an allegedly stolen buffalo to settle an ownership dispute. This came two years after Chandrapal Kashyap—who claims to be its original owner—traced it to a nearby village. On August 25, 2020, Kashyap—a laborer from Shamli's Ahmadgarh village—reported a three-year-old male calf was stolen from his cowshed, TOI reported.
The buffalo was discovered by Kashyap in a village in Saharanpur in November 2020. However, the alleged owner—Satbir Singh—refused to give up the animal, claiming its ownership. The matter was put on hold during the pandemic. But now, to determine the rightful owner, Superintendent of Police (SP) Shamli, Sukriti Madhav, has ordered a DNA test on both the mother buffalo and fully grown calf.
"It was really a challenge to find out who was the real owner. But since Kashyap claimed he had the mother of the calf in his possession, we decided to go for a DNA test," SP Madhav said.
Meanwhile, Kashyap explained how he recognized his buffalo. He said, "Like humans, animals also have distinct features. Firstly, it has a scar on its left leg. It also has a white patch at the tail end. And the third thing is its memory." "When I went near, it recognized me and tried to reach me. What else do I need to establish its identity?"
Similarly, a DNA test was used by a local court in Kollam, Kerala, in August 2014 to resolve a legal dispute that was going on between two women for almost two years regarding the ownership of a cow. According to the reports, it may have been the first time a DNA test was performed on a cow to determine its ownership.
