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UP Police settled a lamb ownership dispute in Kanpur by bringing in the presumed mother goats. The incident occurred on April 12, during the weekly Samadhan Diwas at the Kalyanpur police station
The Uttar Pradesh police station rapidly transformed into an impromptu village courtyard. (File for representation)
The Uttar Pradesh Police recently employed an unconventional method to solve a case of lamb theft in Kanpur.
The incident occurred on April 12, during the weekly Samadhan Diwas at the Kalyanpur police station.
THE DISPUTE
Chanda Devi, a resident of Gooba Gardens in Kalyanpur, sent her husband to a government veterinary hospital with their 20-day-old lamb for sterilisation. En route, he was confronted near Bagiya Crossing by another woman from the same locality, Meena, who claimed the lamb was hers. A heated argument ensued, swiftly escalating into a police matter.
TWO CLAIMS
Both women arrived at the Kalyanpur police station, each steadfastly claiming ownership of the same animal. “I have raised goats for years, and I know my lamb. This one was born in my courtyard just three weeks ago,” Chanda Devi said before the officers. Meena, equally certain, said, “This lamb has been missing from my home. I know its voice and markings – I am sure it’s mine.”
“It was a strange case. We couldn’t rely on verbal claims alone. That’s when one of our constables jokingly suggested bringing in the goats presumed to be the mother. We decided to give it a try,” said Sudhir Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) Kalyanpur Police Station, Kanpur.
‘MOTHER-CHILD BOND DOESN’T LIE’
The station rapidly transformed into an impromptu village courtyard. Locals gathered for Samadhan Diwas lingered, captivated by the unfolding drama. “It was like watching a village panchayat scene from a film. People forgot their own cases and started watching the goat story,” remarked Rajeev Mishra, a shopkeeper present at the police station for an unrelated matter.
Both women returned with their goats. Chanda Devi brought a white goat, while Meena brought a black one. Officers instructed both to wait outside the gates. The lamb was then positioned a short distance from both goats and released.
The lamb instantly reacted, bleated once, and darted towards the white goat. Without hesitation, it began suckling, nuzzling close, and frolicking around its mother. Laughter, applause, and even cheers erupted among the assembled onlookers.
“There was no doubt left,” said SHO Sudhir Kumar, smiling. “The lamb knew exactly where it belonged. We saw with our own eyes – the bond between mother and child doesn’t lie.”
‘JUSTICE WITHOUT PAPERWORK’
“This was justice without paperwork,” commented Shanti Lal, a local farmer. “In villages, we say a child always knows its mother – even animals. Today, the police proved that old wisdom still holds true.”
Meena, although disappointed, graciously accepted the outcome. “I thought it was mine. But maybe I made a mistake. The way it ran to her goat… I can’t argue with that,” she conceded.
“He came running to his maa,” Chanda Devi said. “I didn’t need to say anything. He told the truth himself.”
“In today’s fast-paced, evidence-driven systems, sometimes the most honest answers come from nature,” another officer remarked.