Freedom for Over 120 Parakeets and Pigeons After Rampur Police and Forest Officials Raid Wildlife Dealer, Following Complaint by PETA India

For Immediate Release:

19 August 2026

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Rampur – Over 120 parakeets and pigeons have regained their freedom after the Rampur forest division of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and Suar Police Station of the Rampur Police raided the residence of an alleged illegal wildlife dealer in Narpat Nagar village following complaints submitted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India).

The raid, which took place on 12 August, stemmed from an investigation by PETA India of social media content allegedly posted by one of the accused, which showed the illegal capture and abuse of wild animals protected under Schedules I and II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972 (as amended in 2022). Additional videos suggested the accused’s involvement in organising, training, and exploiting pigeons for illegal kabootarbaazi. Using information gathered during the investigation, PETA India traced the accused to Narpat Nagar village and alerted the authorities. During the raid, officials found over 80 Indian parakeets and 40 pigeons confined in cramped, unhygienic cages and uncovered evidence suggesting illegal bird-trading activities.

The pigeons were examined and released in the Peepli forest reserve by PETA India in the presence of forest and police officials. The parakeets, including Alexandrine, rose-ringed, and plum-headed parakeets, were subsequently released by the forest division officials at Peepli forest range pursuant to a medical examination and an order issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Rampur.

Photographs and video clips of the raid are available upon request.

The Suar Police Station registered a First Information Report (FIR) against accused Arbaz Khan and other unidentified persons under Sections 9, 39 and 51 of the WPA; Sections 3(5) and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Sections 11(1)(a), 11(1)(c), 11(1)(e), 11(1)(m)(ii), 11(1)(n) and 11(1)(l), and 38(3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Separately, the Rampur Forest Division registered a Preliminary Offence Report (POR) against three accused persons–Arbaz, Saddam and Dulla–under Sections 9, 39, 48A, 49B, 50 and 51(1) of the WPA. Alexandrine, rose-ringed, and plum-headed parakeets are protected under Schedule II of the WPA, 1972. The illegal capture, possession, purchase or sale is an offence punishable by a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, a jail term of up to three years, or both. Officials are working to trace and apprehend the accused.

“Birds are social animals who are born to fly in the open sky – not spend their lives lonely and miserable in cages,” says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Ishani Rathee. “PETA India is deeply grateful to Divisional Forest Officer, Rampur, Shri Pranav Jain, IFS; Range Forest Officer, Shri Vijay Singh; and Station House Officer, Suar Police Station, Shri Anupam Sharma, for their prompt intervention and support, which helped rescue the birds and sent a clear message that wildlife crime will not be tolerated.”

In the illegal bird trade, countless birds are taken from their families and denied everything that’s natural and important to them so that they can be sold as “pets” or used as bogus fortune-tellers. Fledglings are often snatched from their nests, and other birds panic as they’re caught in traps or nets that can seriously injure or kill them as they struggle to break free. Captured birds are packed into small boxes, and an estimated 60% of them die in transit from broken wings and legs, thirst, or sheer panic. Those who survive face a bleak life in captivity, suffering from malnutrition, loneliness, depression, and stress.

Pigeons used in kabutarbaazi are often confined in cramped, filthy cages and coops, resulting in stress and encouraging disease. During transportation, birds are often packed tightly in wire cages or cardboard boxes, restricting movement, causing injuries and even suffocation. Pigeons used for such events are also often reportedly drugged with opium. There are different types of kabutarbaazi and pigeon racing events, and can include forcing the pigeon to fly beyond the point of exhaustion. In Faisalabad, Punjab province of eastern Pakistan, a man reportedly burnt all his pigeons locked in a cage after they lost a kabutarbaazi competition. Gambling, a crime under the Public Gambling Act of 1867, is a key part of kabutarbaazi events.

PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way” – points out that the WPA, 1972, bans the capture, caging, and trading of indigenous birds and that non-compliance can result in imprisonment, a fine, or both. In addition, caging birds violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which stipulates that it’s illegal to keep or confine any animal in a cage or other receptacle that doesn’t provide them with a reasonable opportunity for movement – and for an aerial bird, that includes flight.

For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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