A herd of donkeys walking out of Urai jail in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district. Photo: NDTV

In Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district, convicts of a different kind walked out from the Urai jail on Monday ? a herd of eight donkeys.

Their crime was also one of a kind ?destroying expensive plants outside the jail compound, NDTV reported.

The four-legged ?convicts? spent four days behind the bars for their offence.

The plants reportedly cost jail authorities several hundred thousand Indian rupees.

?The 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,? head constable RK Mishra told news agency ANI.

The ?offenders? were only allowed to walk out of the jail after a local politician submitted the bail amount.

The concerned owner eagerly awaited their arrival.

"I came here to get my donkeys released. Eight of them were locked up for four days," owner Kamlesh said.