A pigeon held captive for eight months on alleged charges of being a ‘Chinese spy’, was finally released and took flight after intervention by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, activists said here on Thursday.
The pigeon was caught near the Pir Pau Jetty in Chembur in May 2023 by the RCF Police Station after they found a message on the bird’s wings in illegible letters, suspected to be a Chinese language.
The bird had two rings of copper and aluminium attached to its legs, with the message written in Chinese-style lettering.
Suspecting the pigeon to be a ‘spy’ it was sent to the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals (BSDPHA) in Parel as ‘case property’ in the investigations.