Mumbai: A court in Mumbai acquitted a man several years later after it was proven that the goat which had injured the complainant woman did not belong to him.
Mohammed Ayub was booked by Dongri police after the woman filed a complaint alleging that she had sustained injuries because of the goat on February 21, 2018. Apart from Section 338 (causing grievous hurt), the man was booked under Section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) of the Indian Penal Code.
As the police could not prove whose goat injured the woman in this case, the court acquitted the accused after four years. Section 289 provides for the punishment of a person who seeks imprisonment for a maximum term of six months. The woman told the court that the incident happened while she was walking down the stairs from the first floor of her house.
She claimed that a goat was sitting on the last step. When she was on the last step, the goat pushed her and she fell. All her belongings were also scattered as she informed that she was taken to the hospital by her daughter.
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The woman further told the court that since her husband was out of station, she contacted the police after his return, after which an FIR was registered. She alleged that Ayub, the goat's owner, was responsible for her injuries. While hearing the case, the court questioned the goat's ownership while the victim failed to present the required documents to prove that Ayub owned the goat.
On the other hand, Ayub questioned the delay in filing the FIR by the victim while the elderly woman also failed to acquire any eyewitnesses. The court has ordered the police to record the statements of the residents of the building till the next hearing of the case. The court also claimed that the case lacked evidence hence the prosecutor needs to dig for more evidence for the next hearing.
