RAJASTHAN, India. - A buffalo in court is not your typical courtroom atmosphere. However, in the court of a small city in Rajasthan, India, a buffalo was summoned into the house of justice in a case that revolved around the identity of the animal.
A local breeder named Heeralal Gurjar is in court regarding his buffalo, which he alleges was stolen from him in early August. The police retrieved the animal. But the suspect is in court facing theft charges.
The defense attorney, Meghraj Singh Shakawat, demanded that the buffalo in question be brought to court for identification "to verify whether it was the same animal or not," as reported by BBC News.
Despite, the creature's presence being common place in India, its entry in a court-room was certainly an anomaly which garnered a huge crowd outside the small court.
Mr. Gujar told BBC News that he was just following orders, "I had taken my buffalo to the court as I was directed." The buffalo will not make another appearance in court and reports suggest that the case will be ruled on by the end of next month.
The water buffalo is a common animal in India and is used for agricultural purposes such as field work and transportation. Buffalo milk is also very popular in the country. The buffalo is a huge creature, it can weigh up to 2000 pounds and could exceed 6.5 feet in height. The mostly harmless animal can be found on streets, farms and open land all over the country, but particularly in rural India.
