Jaipur: City police Sunday arrested three men after rescuing 42 white pigeons that were found crammed into small cardboard cartons on MI Road and allegedly transported for pigeon racing and fighting.Deputy commissioner of police (South) Rajarshi Raj Varma said the action was part of a crackdown by police against illegal pigeon fighting and racing.Station house officer, Vidhayakpuri police station, Narendra Kumar identified the accused as Sarfaraz Khan (20), Mohammad Junaid (20) and Mohammad Sonu (22), all residents of Makrana in Nagaur district. During interrogation, the trio allegedly admitted they took the pigeons to Makrana for entertainment in the form of pigeon racing and fighting.A police team led by Babu Lal, Jhabar Mal, Mukesh Kumar and Rajesh received a tip-off on Saturday that pigeons were confined in cartons outside a travels company on MI Road. A team from Vidhayakpuri police station reached the spot and conducted checks. Officers found 42 white pigeons, 21 each in 2 cartons, stuffed tightly on top of each other. Police said the birds were fluttering frantically and appeared stressed.Officials said the accused neither obtained any fitness certificate for transportation nor used proper containers. A case (No 61/2026) was registered under Section 4 of the Rajasthan Preservation of Certain Animals Act, 1950, and Section 325 of BNS. All the birds belonged to the Blue Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) species, police said.A veterinary examination revealed that the wing feathers of all the pigeons were cut so they could not fly. The birds were later handed over in good condition to Raksha NGO in Siddharth Nagar, Malviya Nagar, after coordination with forest department officials.“We directed all police teams to continue to gather information and act against such rackets that organise such competitions where birds are kept in a cruel manner,” Varma said.
