Mumbai: after eight months in detention, 'China spy' pigeon freed

A pigeon, suspected to be a Chinese spy and kept in the custody of a veterinary hospital here after being caught eight months back, has been released, a police official said on Wednesday.

The Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals in Parel area here on Monday sought the police's permission to release the bird following which it was freed on Tuesday, the official from RCF (Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers) police station said.

The pigeon was caught in May last year at Pir Pau Jetty in suburban Chembur by the RCF police.

The bird had two rings - one of copper and another of aluminium - tied to its leg and messages written in a Chinese-like script on the underside of both its wings, the police said.

The RCF police then registered a case but after the inquiry was completed, the spying charge was dropped, he said.

During the probe into the case, the police found the pigeon used to take part in racing at the open waters in Taiwan and at one such event, it flew out of the country and landed in India, the official said.

The pigeon was freed by the hospital after the police gave a "no objection" for its release, he said, adding the bird's medical condition was fine.