It was a daring middle-of-the night heist, that has left Delhi police baffled, as the stolen goods are not jewellery or cash, but around 150 homing pigeons!
‘Who has stolen my pigeons? I don't know why my pigeons were stolen. Why were they targeted?’ lamented Shabbir Mohammad, whose pigeons were stolen from his house in south Delhi. Police has launched a hunt to recover the pigeons and nab the thieves, but they have no clue so far.
Shabbir Mohammad, 26, stays at Abul Fazal Enclave in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi near the Jamia Millia Islamia university. His pigeons were stolen on the midnight of 7 February, said the police. The robbers broke the locks of three large metal cages on the roof of his house in which the pigeons were kept and decamped with the birds. ‘My family have been keeping pigeons as pets for the past several decades. Those birds were like family members,’ said Shabbir.
The pigeons are of rare species - white, black, brown-feathered or spotted, fan-tailed, and white ringed, and their prices range from Rs 500 to Rs.1,000 for each bird. The worth of the stolen birds is estimated at approximately Rs.75,000 (nearly 1200 USD). Shabbir said he would feed the birds in the morning with wheat, bajra and rice, and let them free on the roof. The birds would fly and come back every dusk on the terrace and he would put them back in the metal cage, and lock it for the night.
‘Who has stolen my pigeons? I don't know why my pigeons were stolen. Why were they targeted?’ lamented Shabbir Mohammad, whose pigeons were stolen from his house in south Delhi. Police has launched a hunt to recover the pigeons and nab the thieves, but they have no clue so far.
Shabbir Mohammad, 26, stays at Abul Fazal Enclave in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi near the Jamia Millia Islamia university. His pigeons were stolen on the midnight of 7 February, said the police. The robbers broke the locks of three large metal cages on the roof of his house in which the pigeons were kept and decamped with the birds. ‘My family have been keeping pigeons as pets for the past several decades. Those birds were like family members,’ said Shabbir.
The pigeons are of rare species - white, black, brown-feathered or spotted, fan-tailed, and white ringed, and their prices range from Rs 500 to Rs.1,000 for each bird. The worth of the stolen birds is estimated at approximately Rs.75,000 (nearly 1200 USD). Shabbir said he would feed the birds in the morning with wheat, bajra and rice, and let them free on the roof. The birds would fly and come back every dusk on the terrace and he would put them back in the metal cage, and lock it for the night.