India jails 8 donkeys for eating expensive plants (photo)

Eight donkeys have spent four days in an Indian jail for eating expensive plants. They did not go for trial. They were summarily incarcerated as the illegal eating took place near a prison.

It all happened in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The animals were arrested after eating up “expensive” plants just outside the compound of the main jail in the state’s Jalaun district, over 200 km from capital Lucknow.

“Various types of saplings were planted in the jail premises for beautification. Those were damaged by the donkeys. Hence, I rounded them up,” jail chief Sita Ram Sharma told the media.

The donkeys were freed on Monday after a local politician of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intervened in the wake of a plea by the owner of the donkeys.

“For two days, I could not find my horses and donkeys. When I came to know that they are in jail, I sought the help from local BJP leaders to secure their release,” owner Kamlesh S. said.

Xinhua