MUMBAI: A Mumbai railway court on Monday has handed interim custody of birds rescued after being transported in overcrowded cages on the Geetanjali Express to Kalote Animal Trust in Raigad. The order covers the surviving birds from a batch of 337 seized by the Government Railway Police (GRP) from a Kurla pet shop after around 2,100 birds were found crammed into seven cages on the train on September 10.
The 35th Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) passed the order on an application filed by PETA India seeking custody of the birds for the animal sanctuary. Post-mortems were conducted on the birds. PETA India then sought interim custody of the surviving birds for Kalote Animal Trust, which runs an animal sanctuary in Raigad.
Police later raided the shop and seized 337 birds. A government veterinarian examined them, but 55 subsequently died while in hospice care.
The court directed the investigating officer to hand over the birds to the trust, which will be responsible for their care and maintenance during the trial.
The trust has been directed not to sell the birds and to produce them before the court whenever required.
