All in 3 hours: Sacrificial goat stolen on Bakrid, returned to owner after thief nabbed

P.Naveen

Bhopal: A goat bought for Bakrid celebrations was at the centre of a lost-and-found story that unfolded in the dusty lanes of Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh town on Thursday, after it was reported stolen while its owner was busy offering Namaz.

What followed was a brief operation during which the police tracked down the missing goat, Monty, within three hours and returned it to its relieved owner.

The incident took place in Damoh town’s Palandi Crossing area.

The owner, Naeem Khan, had recently purchased Monty, for Rs 20,000 for Bakrid sacrifice and tied it in the courtyard outside his house on Thursday morning before leaving for the Eid prayers. But he returned home after Namaz to find his sacrificial goat missing.

Realising the goat had been stolen, Naeem lodged a missing complaint at the Kotwali police station.

The police launched a search operation, scanning CCTV in nearby areas and questioning locals.

They soon traced the theft to one Aleem Topa, a resident of Gadi Mohalla. According to police, the accused had allegedly taken the goat to his house after stealing it.

A police team soon reached the location and recovered Monty. To ensure the right goat was being returned, Naeem Khan was called to the spot where he identified Monty before the police formally handed him back his prized Bakrid purchase.

The accused was arrested and a case registered in the matter.