You can run but you can’t hide forever from the law. This was proven true in a 41-year-old goat theft case from the north eastern Indian state of Tripura.
A 58-year-old man was charged and held for theft after being on the run for more than four decades. He had a permanent arrest warrant against his name.
What happened?
As per the Indian news website indiatoday.in report, “Bachu Kaul, along with his father Mohan Kaul had stolen a goat in 1978 from West Tripura district's Ranir Bazar. Acting on a permanent arrest warrant against Bachu Kaul, a tea garden worker, the police arrested him on late Friday from the Mekhlipara tea estate area in western Tripura.”
A permanent arrest warrant is issued by the court when the person accused of the crime is declared an absconder.
Despite both father and son being accused of the crime and declared absconders, only Kaul will be tried, as his father passed away 18 years ago.
What next?
A police official told the Indian news website: ”Bachu would be produced in a lower court and we will seek his judicial custody for at least seven days….
“The price of the goat was Rs45 (Dh2.33) in 1978 and the proportional value of that goat at the current market price would be over Rs3,000 (Dh155)."
Social media reaction
Social media users in India were bit surprised at the case, as they felt it was a rather pointless exercise.
@KClall tweeted: “Sir! This arrest has no meaning apart from brownie points for police… maybe the criminal wants free boarding and lodging in jail. Purpose not followed?”
What is a permanent arrest warrant in India?
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property.
A permanent arrest warrant is issued by the court when the person accused of the crime is declared an absconder.
A little bit about goats
As per various sources, the domestic goat is basically bred from the wild goat of southwest Asia and eastern Europe. It is related to sheep and has over 300 different breeds. And, yes, as we can see from many ancient cultures around the world, goats are one of the oldest domesticated species, and have been used for milk, cheese, meat, fur and skins. They have a lifespan that ranges from 15 to 18 years. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, in 2011, there were more than 924 million goats living in the world.
