A senior Bihar police official has instructed the Gaya Superintendent of Police (Rural) to conduct a DNA test on a buffalo to determine the bovine’s rightful owner. The move came following a dispute between two persons, each claiming to be the owner.

Inspector General of Police (Magadh range) Vikas Vaibhav instructed Gaya (Rural) SP Divyanjali Jaiswal to resolve the matter through a swift scientific investigation.

“There has been a dispute between two parties – Suraj Yadav and Prakash Manjhi – regarding the buffalo. Therefore, a DNA test will be conducted… What other options are left to determine its real owner?” IG Vaibhav said.

The dispute arose after the buffalo was allegedly stolen from Mr. Yadav’s house in Sirh village of the district a few days ago. His long search for the stolen bovine ended at neighbouring Nauranga hamlet when someone informed him that the animal was seen tied to a pole at Mr. Manjhi’s house. While Mr. Yadav reached Nauranga in no time and brought back the buffalo, it enraged Mr. Manjhi, who went to the Atri police station to claim that he was the rightful owner.

Station House Officer Ajay Kumar summoned Mr. Yadav with the buffalo to the Atri police station, where the animal was kept for two days. However, following a commotion by Mr. Yadav’s supporters, the police eventually handed over the buffalo to him.

Mr. Manjhi, meanwhile, filed a complaint against Mr. Yadav under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The dispute escalated after local political leaders entered the scene. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Atri MLA Ajay Kumar Yadav alias Ranjit Yadav approached the zonal IG and submitted a formal request for an impartial probe into the matter. “The manner in which a case was registered against Suraj Yadav is completely unjustifiable and needs proper inquiry into the role of the local police,” the RJD leader said.

The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar, too got involved in the matter, with party’s national spokesperson Shyam Sundar Manjhi saying that the senior officer has assured a thorough probe into the matter. “We all should wait for the police investigation to be completed,” he said.

Now, the zonal IG has ordered a DNA test of both the mother buffalo, which Mr. Yadav claims is still in his village, and the animal in the eye of the dispute to ascertain the rightful owner. “Since [Suraj] Yadav claimed the mother of the buffalo is in his village, we decided to go for a DNA test,” Mr. Vaibhav told The Hindu.