After spending eight months in custody, a pigeon detained by Indian police under suspicion of being a Chinese spy has been released following the conclusion of investigations that cleared it of any wrongdoing.
The avian intrigue began when the bird was apprehended at a port in Mumbai, the financial hub of India, with peculiar markings resembling a Chinese-like script on its wings, as reported by the Times of India newspaper.
Initially, authorities registered a case of spying against the pigeon. However, after an exhaustive inquiry, they ultimately dropped the charges, according to the report.
The bird, whose identity remains undisclosed, was confined at a city hospital throughout the lengthy investigation period.
The prolonged probe, spanning eight months, prompted criticism from the India office of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which highlighted the case’s unusual duration.
PETA India announced on Thursday that police had formally authorized the hospital to release the pigeon, which reportedly flew away in good health.
This incident is not an isolated one in India’s history of avian espionage concerns. In 2016, border security officers detained a pigeon near India’s border with Pakistan, allegedly carrying a threatening message addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Similarly, in 2010, another pigeon was held under armed guard in the same region, adorned with a ring on its foot and a Pakistani phone number and address marked in red ink on its body. Authorities speculated it was on a “special mission of spying.”
