Goat 'arrested' for not wearing mask in Kanpur? Here is what police said on viral claim

A viral report on Monday claimed that the Uttar Pradesh police "arrested" a goat that was roaming in Kanpur "without wearing a mask". 

The bizarre incident took place in the Beconganj area of Kanpur, the report said. The incident is likely to have taken place over the weekend and the Beconganj police picked up the goat and took it to the police station in a jeep.

A media report said that when the owner of the goat rushed to the police station when he learnt that the police had taken it away. 

The many requested the cops to let him take back his goat. The police allowed the goat to go with the owner but warned him not to allow the animal to roam on the road. 

A video of cops loading thew goat in the police jeep also went viral, making the city police a butt of many jokes. 

Well done UP Police. You won't arrest rapists or criminals but will be very quick to arrest student activists and goats. pic.twitter.com/a3thC3Ly6c

— Drunk Journalist (@drunkJournalist) July 27, 2020

A cop who was part of the team that brought the goat admitted that they found a lockdown violation because the goat was without a mask, IANS reported. 

"People are now making their dogs wear a mask so why not a goat?" he asked.

As people started mocking the police for its bizarre action, it changed the story. 

Saifuddin Beg, Circle officer, Anwarganj police station, said that the police had found a youth without a mask and had taken the goat along.

"When he saw the police, he ran away leaving the goat behind so the policemen brought the goat to the police station. Later, we handed over the goat to its owner," he was quoted as saying by IANS. 

Kanpur Police clarified on Twitter that the goat was walking around in lockdown which was brought to the police station and was later handed over to the owner. 

"In the case, it was reported that the goat was walking around in lockdown which was brought to the police station, the goat owner came to the police station and according to the rules, the goat was handed over to him. The rest of the charge is untrue and baseless," Kanpur City Police said in response to a local journalist on Twitter. 

प्रकरण में प्र0नि0 बेकनगंज द्वारा बातया गया कि लॉकडाउन में बकरा लावारिस घूम रहा था जिसको थाने लाया गया, बकरा मालिक मो0 अली पुत्र खनीकुज्जमा नि0 दादामियां का चौराहा, थाना बेकनगंज कानपुर नगर के आने पर उन्हे नियमानुसार बकरे को सुपुर्द कर दिया गया, शेष आरोप असत्य व निराधार है।

— Kanpur Nagar Police (@kanpurnagarpol) July 27, 2020

The incident came a week before the festival of Eid-al-Adha or Bakreid where Muslim sacrifice animals, most commonly goats.