Pratapgarh, Jul 5 (IANS): Bizarre though it may sound, the police in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh found an innovative way to decide the ownership of a buffalo that had gone missing from its owner's home.

As the panchayat failed to resolve the issue, the police left the decision to the buffalo by leaving it unattended on the road. The buffalo, after some time, walked to the home of its owner and the matter was resolved.

The case involves Nandlal Saroj, a resident of Rai Askaranpur village under Maheshganj police station of the district. His buffalo went missing some days back and strayed to Purey Harikesh village where one Hanuman Saroj allegedly caught hold of it.

Nandlal finally traced the animal after a frantic search for three days but Hanuman refused to return the buffalo. Nandlal then approached the Maheshganj police station and lodged a complaint against Hanuman Saroj.

Cops called both the claimants to the police station on Thursday. However, despite a panchayat over the issue held for several hours, both of them kept claiming the buffalo to be theirs.

SHO of Maheshganj police station Shravan Kumar Singh then devised a way out to resolve the dispute.

Singh announced before the panchayat that the decision should be left to the buffalo itself. The buffalo will be left on the road alone, and the person whom it will follow will be declared its owner.

The villagers also agreed to the decision and both Nandlal and Hanuman were asked to stand in opposite directions on the route to their villages.

Cops then released the buffalo from the police station, and it took the route straightaway to Rai Askaranpur village following Nandlal. As per its decision, the buffalo was handed over to Nandlal.

The other claimant was reprimanded by both, police and villagers.