Are charges against Somnath Bharti's dog a new era of law enforcement?

Even policemen know the famous Bollywood adage — pardon the anodyne English translation — that "it is not only difficult to catch Don, it is impossible". So, the vim and speed with which Delhi Police tracked down a Don this week needs to be commended, though it helped that their quarry was reportedly snoring in an air-conditioned room. Considering the Don in question happens to be the pet Golden Labrador of former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti, it was not unusual to find him unperturbed by the hullabaloo over his reported evanescence. Though unconfirmed, it is also likely that the furry fugitive was quite unaware that the police want to interrogate him about his role in the alleged attempted murder of his owner’s estranged wife. So, he decided to while away his time eating and snoozing as usual — as overweight pooches of his breed are wont to do.

However, it will be interesting to observe how the police accomplish what they told a Delhi court was their intention: to find out if Don really tried to bite the alleged victim on the orders of his owner. Apart from the special interrogation methods such a task will need, this case portends to be a landmark one if it charges a dog as an accessory to attempted murder and criminal conspiracy, further widening the concept of ‘person’ under the law.