FIR registered in seizure of animals, birds at railway station

Nagpur: Amid high drama, the Government Railway Police (GRP) finally registered a first information report (FIR) on Thursday in the matter related to seizure of animals at the Nagpur railway station.
On April 22, after acting on a tip-off by a Kolkata-based animal lover who was travelling to Nagpur by the Howrah-LTT Gyaneshwari Express, honorary animal welfare officer Anjali Vaidyar and others with the help of the railway police seized a consignment containing 1,680 exotic birds, rabbits and white mice.
The animals were stuffed into small cages because of which several of them had died due to suffocation during the journey. According to the official count, of the 1,680 animals, 106 had died during the journey while 6 more died at the poultry farm of MAFSU at Seminary Hills. The cages contained 115 pigeons, 170 rabbits, 150 white mice, and 1175 love birds.
Many of these birds showed sluggish movement and are serious. If these are birds are not shifted to a proper shelter, there may be more casualties. The birds have been kept at the SPCA centre off Katol Road.
According to Vaidyar, on Wednesday, there was high drama at the GRP police station where 25 members of pet shop-owners’ association gathered and put pressure on the officials to release the birds and animals. However, as the activists had already sought the intervention of the district collector Ashwin Mudgal, who is also the chairman of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the animal husbandry department, there was no question of releasing the birds.
The GRP registered an FIR against the consignors from Howrah who had reached Nagpur after getting the news about the seizure. An offence under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 was registered.
Vaidyar informed that the offence has been transferred to the Howrah GRP as the parcel was booked there. Meanwhile, district collectorate officials prepared a suprudnama (deed of trust) in the name of the police, who will hand over the birds and animals to the owners.
“As there are no shelter facilities in Nagpur for such animals and birds, we need to hand over them to save them. Soaring temperatures may take a toll on them. Even if the avians are handed over to the owners, our action taught them a lesson and we hope they will take proper care next time,” said Vaidyar.
Central Railway spokesperson and assistant commercial manager (ACM) SG Rao said, “We have collected all the documents related to the case and will send a note of caution to railway officials at Howrah on the issue.”