Palanpur (Gujarat), Sep 5 (IANS) The district court in Banaskantha has sentenced a man to two years' rigorous imprisonment for bestiality.

Umedji Thakore of Warnoda village in Deesa taluka of Banaskantha district was sentenced Thursday to two years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.500 by Deesa's Additional Sessions Court Judge S.J. Solanki.

According to the prosecution, Thakore was caught sexually assaulting a calf by a widow on Aug 22, 2007. When the woman objected, Thakore threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it and continued with the act.

A week later, Chimaniben contacted the local unit head of 'People for Animals', an NGO run by Maneka Gandhi, which registered a case against Thakore under sections 377, 504 and 506(2) of the Indian Penal Code on Aug 28, 2007.

Basing his verdict on circumstantial evidence, the lone witness and a veterinary report the court observed that this kind of behaviour was very 'disturbing' to the public and the court and found Thakore guilty.

According to legal sources, the case was of 'rarest of rare' kind in the state.