Man gets 5-yr RI for hurting cow

Bhavnagar: In a bizarre case, a court here has sentenced a man to five years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for blinding a cow by hitting it with a stone in the eye.

According to the case details, Virbhadhrasinh Gohel had entered into altercation with Rupa Bharwad over the area of cattle grazing in Thalsar village of Talaja taluka in Bhavnagar district on January 1, 2015. Gohel asked Bharwad to take his cattle away and graze them somewhere else. When Bharwad refused, the altercation ensued, in which Gohel picked up a stone and hit one of Bharward's cow, which hit it in the eye. The cow turned blind, following which Bharwad lodged a complaint against Gohel.

Police booked Gohel under Sections 429 and 11 (A) of Indian Penal Code, which pertains to cruelty against animals. Apart from the five-year RI, the court also slapped Gohel with Rs 20,000 fine and six months of additional imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.