In a bizarre development, a herd of donkeys in Uttar Pradesh was detained at a jail in the state's Jalaun district last week. The donkeys were apprehended near the Urai district jail.

Jail officials said that the donkeys were detained for destroying plants outside jail. The donkeys were released today after four days of detention. Donkeys apparently ate and destroyed plants recently bought for Rs 5 lakh.

"These donkeys had destroyed some very expensive plants which our senior officer had arranged for planting inside jail and despite warnings the owner let loose his animals here so we detained the donkeys," Urai jail head constable RK Mishra was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

The eight donkeys were detained on November 24, following which the owners made frantic search for the animals. Someone informed the owner, identified as Kamlesh, about the donkeys having been detained by police.

Kamlesh, then, approached the jail authorities with his request to let the animals go free but the authorities refused to release the donkeys for four days. He rushed to local BJP leader Shakti Gahoi for help. The BJP leader accompanied Kamlesh to the prison and secured release of the donkeys.

Jalaun(UP): Police release a herd of donkeys from Urai district jail. They had been detained for destroying plants outside jail and were released after four days pic.twitter.com/Wl5UJrU2tT

- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 27, 2017