Navi Mumbai: After two months of meticulous investigation in the theft of 11 exotic parrots from a veterinarian’s farmhouse used as bird rescue centre in Karjat, the Raigad police have succeeded in recovering nine of them on Friday, as two parrots died while they were been smuggled by the accused to Chennai.On July 19, an FIR of house tresspass and theft was registered at Karjat police station after two thieves barged into the farmhouse of Rewild Sanctuary and Charitable Trust at Thembre-Ambivali in Karjat taluka past midnight. The thieves bolted the room where three caretakers were asleep. They broke open the door of iron cages where the exotic parrots were kept and decamped with seven African Grey Parrots, one Blue Gold Macaw and one Scarlet Macaw.Raigad SP Anchal Dalal informed that, as the CCTV cameras at the complainant’s farmhouse were switched off, the investigation team checked numerous CCTVs on all the routes leading to and from the farmhouse. The duo suspects were zeroed-in and through police informant, one accused was identified as Anil Jadhav (19), a resident of Vavandhal, Khalapur taluka. He was traced and arrested on Aug 2. In police custody remand he revealed the name of his accomplice Rajesh Singh Mahi alias Samshershing (43), who hails from Delhi. Mahi was arrested on Friday and he led the police to a receiver in Chennai from where the stolen exotic parrots were recovered.PI Sandip Bhosale of Karjat said, “The accused Anil Jadhav earned a living by selling drinking water bottles in Karjat-Mumbai trains. While, accused Rajesh Singh Mahi worked as a compounder with a veterinary doctor in Karjat and hence he was aware that the exotic parrot species were expensive. During train journey, both became friends and they planned to commit the theft of parrots from the NGO’s farmhouse. The accused Mahi had sold the exotic parrots to a person in Chennai but the payment deal was not finalized.“PI Bhosale said, “As per the complainant, 12 exotic parrots were stolen, but the inquiry revealed that 11 parrots were stolen. Out of them, two parrots died while the accused was transporting the birds to Chennai. Hence, we have recovered nine exotic parrots.”Raigad SP Anchal Dalal said, “The exotic parrots are expensive as the intelligence of the African Grey Parrot is equal to that of a 5-year-old child and they interact with people, so they are kept as pets and they live for about 40 years. Similarly, the Blue Gold Macaw and Scarlet Macaw birds live for about 60 to 70 years and are also kept as pets in zoos and aviaries. They can imitate and even talk. The cost of the nine exotic parrots is estimated to 11.25 lakhs.“ Talking to TOI, the complainant veterinarian, Dr Rina Dev said, “It was a clear nexus of traders and bird breeders who did this crime. Since such exotic birds sell at very high prices at pet shops, the criminals were trying to sell them within and outside Maharashtra, without caring about the poor condition of the birds. Some of the stolen birds were suffering from fractures, while one bird was blind, which is why they were kept at the rescue center.“Animal activist Pawan Sharma of Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare added: “We assisted the police by searching several petshops and breeder farms in Maharashtra.
