MEERUT: Mohd Qayyum’s family in UP’s Meerut are into “kabootarbazi” — a traditional sport of pigeon racing since the Mughal era. Keeping the family tradition — going back several generations — alive, he raised hundreds of colourful pigeons of exotic breeds over the years, all housed in coops and cages on the terrace. And every morning, Qayyum, a proud kabootarbaz, made it a point to spend time with his feathered friends — feeding and training them.
On Monday morning, the 65-year-old climbed up the terrace for his daily ritual. But to his surprise, he found that all the cages were empty.
“I found 400 pigeons — valued at around Rs 10 lakh — missing and I was totally shattered. Then I realised they could have been taken away by thieves on Sunday night. Some of the stolen pigeons belong to rare foreign breeds and have participated in several competitions,” he said, adding that police were informed and they have launched an investigation.
Meerut SP City, Ayush Vikram Singh, said a formal complaint has been registered at Lisadi Gate police station, and cops are actively working on the case. Singh added: “CCTV footage of the surrounding areas are being scanned to identify the culprits. Prima facie, they used a ladder to climb up the terrace. They had come only for Qayyum’s pigeons. Except for the birds, they didn’t steal anything else from his house.”
According to Qayyum, the pigeons were a popular local attraction. “Bird-lovers often came to see them. It is shocking how the thieves managed to disappear with hundreds of pigeons from the terrace without anyone having a whiff of it,” he added.
Meerut: Mohd Qayyum’s family in UP’s Meerut are into “kabootarbazi” — a traditional sport of pigeon racing since the Mughal era. Keeping the family tradition — going back several generations — alive, he raised hundreds of colourful pigeons of exotic breeds over the years, all housed in coops and cages on the terrace. And every morning, Qayyum, a proud kabootarbaz, made it a point to spend time with his feathered friends — feeding and training them.
On Monday morning, the 65-year-old climbed up the terrace for his daily ritual. But to his surprise, he found that all the cages were empty.
“I found 400 pigeons — valued at around Rs 10 lakh — missing and I was totally shattered. Then I realised they could have been taken away by thieves on Sunday night. Some of the stolen pigeons belong to rare foreign breeds and have participated in several competitions,” he said, adding that police were informed and they have launched an investigation.
Meerut SP City, Ayush Vikram Singh, said a formal complaint has been registered at Lisadi Gate police station, and cops are actively working on the case. Singh added: “CCTV footage of the surrounding areas are being scanned to identify the culprits. Prima facie, they used a ladder to climb up the terrace. They had come only for Qayyum’s pigeons. Except for the birds, they didn’t steal anything else from his house.”
According to Qayyum, the pigeons were a popular local attraction. “Bird-lovers often came to see them. It is shocking how the thieves managed to disappear with hundreds of pigeons from the terrace without anyone having a whiff of it,” he added.
