Only In India
Only in India can a donkey be arrested for being part of a protest, as "evidence from the scene of a crime". Details from the BBC, here.The Kancheepuram District People's Forum and the Sons of the Soil groups rented the donkey for use in a demonstration against what they say is the lethargy of the authorities in dealing with the issue.
A poster was hung from the donkey's neck during the protest earlier this week in which the district administration was caricatured as "slow to act, unmotivated and mulish".
This gesture angered members of the administration, who filed a complaint with police against the two groups.
Police then arrested the demonstrators and materials used by them including a tent, a loudspeaker and an amplifier, as well as the donkey.
By the time they took the case before Magistrate IG Uthamaraj, it was late in the day. So he remanded the detainees - and the donkey - overnight in custody.
Bewildered police say they did not expect this development, because the usual practice is for animals at crime scenes to be returned to their owners.
But because the animal's owners could not be traced, the magistrate said he had not option but to order its detention.
Officers were heard to complain that their four-legged prisoner was not the easiest of detainees, and was upset about everything from food and drink to the standard of accommodation.
Now police have filed a case against the two campaigning groups for animal cruelty. They in turn have accused the police of cruelty.
Owners of the donkey, meanwhile, joke that it is now consulting its lawyers with a view to suing both parties... ..They say that while it is good to have it home again, it is even more stubborn and bad-tempered than normal.
A poster was hung from the donkey's neck during the protest earlier this week in which the district administration was caricatured as "slow to act, unmotivated and mulish".
This gesture angered members of the administration, who filed a complaint with police against the two groups.
Police then arrested the demonstrators and materials used by them including a tent, a loudspeaker and an amplifier, as well as the donkey.
By the time they took the case before Magistrate IG Uthamaraj, it was late in the day. So he remanded the detainees - and the donkey - overnight in custody.
Bewildered police say they did not expect this development, because the usual practice is for animals at crime scenes to be returned to their owners.
But because the animal's owners could not be traced, the magistrate said he had not option but to order its detention.
Officers were heard to complain that their four-legged prisoner was not the easiest of detainees, and was upset about everything from food and drink to the standard of accommodation.
Now police have filed a case against the two campaigning groups for animal cruelty. They in turn have accused the police of cruelty.
Owners of the donkey, meanwhile, joke that it is now consulting its lawyers with a view to suing both parties... ..They say that while it is good to have it home again, it is even more stubborn and bad-tempered than normal.