KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
After border security forces in mainland India clipped wings of a suspected “spy” pigeon for cross-border spying, dozens of others have been “detained” in winter capital.
The colour of around 150 pigeons has made authorities in winter capital to go for investigation as has how and why the pigeons were “smuggled” in to the J&K territory.
According to reports, the deputy commissioner Jammu asked the state intelligence bureau to investigate in to the matter before the pigeons were handed over SAVE, an animal rights group.
“Some NGO (who did not want to be named) mailed us that the pigeons could have been used for transmitting message across the border. They said some chip had been fitted in their feet,” said Simrandeep Singh, district development commissioner of Jammu.
Appearance of the pigeons was distinct from the normal birds, the DC observed which made the authorities to go investigation.
“After seizing the pigeons, who had been packed in cruel conditions, we filed a case under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Later on, the court released the pigeons and the man (who brought the pigeons) also deposited the fine,” he added.
“These pigeons have special colours and we are wondering whether this is a colour code. We are trying to clear doubts so that tomorrow it should not happen that someone told us and we did not take action,” he said.
Rumpy Madaan, animal welfare officer at the Animal Welfare Board of India, Ministry of Environment, who also heads the NGO Save Animals Value Environment (SAVE) has now been given custody of the birds.
“Some of the pigeons have different coloured rings which immediately raised suspicions. If it was a normal thing then all of them would have rings but only some of them have. Two to three of them even had different and special magnetic kind of rings, and we must investigate why,” said Madaan.
