The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has requested the Khangarh police station SHO in Amritsar to register a case against a pigeon found near the border with Pakistan with a paper taped to one of his legs with a Pakistani number on it, media reported on Wednesday.
The India Today newspaper said the pigeon was caught on April 17 after it perched on the shoulder of Constable Niraj Kumar who was on guard duty at a post in Roranwala, half a kilometre from the border with Pakistan.
The publication also shared a picture of the request, according to which Kumar “immediately caught the pigeon and informed Post Commander Ompal Singh”. The commander then searched the pigeon and found a paper with a number starting from 0302.
The number was wrapped with adhesive tape on the pigeon’s left leg, the request stated.
The BSF handed the pigeon to the police along with the request to register an FIR. However, Senior Superintendent of Police Dhruv Dahiya said he did not think FIR could be registered against the pigeon as it was a bird, said a report carried by The Indian Express.
“We have referred the matter to our legal experts for their opinion,” the report quoted Dahiya as saying.
The official said the number was also being analysed.
Last month, authorities in Indian-occupied Kashmir seized a plane shaped balloon bearing the name of Pakistan’s airlines PIA.
The balloon featuring the name, logo and livery colours of the national flag-carrier was found in Sotra Chak village of Hiranagar sector. It was initially spotted by locals in the village who informed the police. Authorities then seized the balloon while the matter was being investigated by police.
In 2015, a pigeon was captured by Indian forces for crossing into India’s Pathankot area.
In May last year, BSF claimed to have captured a “Pakistani spy pigeon” and handed it over to police in occupied Kashmir. A Pakistani villager later said he was the owner of the pigeon and denied the allegation of it being “a spy or a terrorist”.
