Gaya/Patna: A buffalo ownership dispute in Bihar’s Gaya district has taken an unusual scientific turn, with police preparing to conduct a DNA test on the animal and its alleged relatives.
The case, which originated in the Atri police station area, involves two families who claim the same buffalo belongs to them. The animal is currently in the possession of Suraj Yadav of Asarhiya village, while Prakash Kumar Manjhi of Nauranga Toli maintains that it belongs to him.
The police have approached experts from Patna’s Veterinary Science College for assistance in collecting biological samples. According to Magadh Range IG Vikas Vaibhav, samples are expected to be collected from the disputed buffalo, a buffalo claimed by Manjhi to be its mother and another claimed by Yadav to be its sister.
The three samples will then be compared, with further action depending on the DNA report.
How the dispute began
Yadav says his buffalo went missing on the evening of August 11. His family began searching for it in neighbouring villages and later found the animal tethered at Manjhi’s house in Nauranga Toli.
Yadav brought the buffalo back, but Manjhi subsequently approached the police claiming that the animal belonged to him. Police took custody of the buffalo as the dispute escalated.
Manjhi claims that he had obtained the buffalo under a share-rearing arrangement, locally known as batai. He says the buffalo had previously gone missing but returned on its own after several days and was recognised by villagers.
“I maintain that it is rightfully mine; I actually possess the buffalo’s mother,” Manjhi said, adding that he had approached the Magadh Range IG seeking justice.
Yadav, meanwhile, maintains that the animal wandered away from his home and was mistakenly claimed by Manjhi.
A DNA test with a legal question
IG Vaibhav said the investigation was being conducted carefully because of the sensitivity of the dispute. A criminal case under the SC/ST Act has also been registered in connection with the episode.
The IG said the biological relationships claimed by both sides could be scientifically examined. If Manjhi’s claim is correct, a sample from the alleged mother could establish whether the disputed buffalo is her offspring. Similarly, a sample from the animal claimed by Yadav to be its sister could help establish a biological relationship.
“Further action will be taken based on the results obtained after comparing the three samples,” Vaibhav said.
The police have assigned the investigation to the Rural SP and are seeking technical assistance from veterinary experts before the samples are collected.
Experts question whether DNA can prove ownership
The proposed test has also raised questions within the Animal Husbandry Department.
Gaya District Animal Husbandry Officer Dr Sunil Kumar Rai said DNA testing can establish biological relationships between animals of the same species, including relationships between a mother and offspring or between siblings. But that does not automatically establish who owns the animal.
According to Rai, the department does not have a mechanism for using DNA testing to determine ownership. He said the scientific test could potentially clarify whether the buffalo is biologically related to the animals claimed by the two parties, but questions of ownership would ultimately have to be resolved through the police investigation, witnesses and other evidence.
Rai said he had not previously encountered a case in which DNA testing was proposed specifically to settle an animal ownership dispute.
The department is nevertheless prepared to provide technical assistance to the police. The test could be conducted at the Veterinary Science College in Patna or another appropriate research facility.
Political overtones add to the dispute
The confrontation has also acquired a political dimension. Both parties reportedly come from economically disadvantaged families, with one side belonging to the Dalit community.
Former RJD MLA Ranjit Yadav is backing one side, while the HAM (S) party has extended support to the other. Representatives of both sides have met IG Vaibhav seeking an impartial investigation.
With the buffalo still at the centre of the dispute, the police are now waiting for the scientific evidence.
The proposed DNA test may establish whether the competing claims about the buffalo’s biological family are correct. Whether that evidence alone can determine ownership, however, remains an open legal and investigative question.
