12 ROSE RINGED PARAKEETS RESCUED FROM A BAG AT AIRPORT

NEW DELHI: Central Industrial Security Force (CIAF) personnel were in for a surprise on Tuesday when a flock of birds appeared on the screen of their baggage x-ray scanners at the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport while checking the handbag of an Uzbek passenger.

A thorough check of the handbag led to the recovery of 12 rose ringed parakeets, which were allegedly being smuggled out to Tashkent by the man. He was caught and handed over to the customs.

Assistant inspector general Hemendra Singh said that around 7 am, during the pre-embarkation security check at the international security hold area (SHA) of Terminal 3 (T3), our men noticed some suspicious image on screen.

“The bag was referred for a thorough physical check during which 12 live parakeets were recovered. The passenger was identified as Anvarjon Rakhmatjonov, an Uzbek national. He was travelling to Tashkent. The man could not give any satisfactory reply or show any valid document for carrying the birds. He was detained and was handed over to the customs along with the birds,” Singh said.

A customs officer from Delhi airport said the birds were sedated so that they did not make any noise.

“Under the Wildlife Protection Act read with Customs Act, the export of these birds is prohibited. It is a non-bailable offence. Adequate legal action is being taken against the man. The birds and the man will be produced in a court tomorrow,” he said, not wanting to be named.

He said the passenger was being questioned to know the source of the birds. “We are trying to know why was he taking them to Tashkent,” he said.

The officer said they had contacted the wildlife department. “They are under supervision to ensure their health does not deteriorate,” he said.

Nikhil Devasar, founder of Delhi Bird Foundation, said it was a wild bird.

“It is illegal to keep or trade any wild Indian species. Under the law, these species cannot be caged,” he said. Finally, the Indian Railways have accepted the concept of paying for delays vis-à-vis train journeys and that’s really a welcome move. One really hopes that the promise of “If we delay, we pay” made in respect of Tejas Express running between New Delhi and Lucknow, will mark the beginning of similar offers on other trains too.

In fact this encourages me to bring up once again an old demand- that the railways have a similar policy on ‘superfast’ trains. Frankly, in this age of fast trains that travel at 400 kms an hour, calling trains that chug along at 55 and 45 kms per hour as ‘superfast’ and imposing a surcharge for travel on such trains is absolutely ridiculous and the railways should seriously think of removing the surcharge per se or redefining the criteria for superfast trains in line with the modern day concept of speed and super speed.