Bengaluru: Peacock run over and killed, body placed before National Flag

Bengaluru: Peacocks in choked Bengaluru, and that too in enough numbers to be run over by a vehicle!

It was a sad moment for Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), North, G.A. Jagadeesh and his team when they found the dead National Bird on the busy Peenya Elevated Flyover near Shobha Apartments early on Wednesday morning.

In a sensitive and touching gesture, the police team brought back the dead bird to the police station, placed it before an image of a national flag and wrapped it in a white cloth before handing it over to the forest department officials.

“One of our officers received a call around 6.45 am on Wednesday that a peacock was lying dead on the flyover. I visited the spot and surmised that the bird had been hit by a vehicle. We did not have the heart to leave the bird on the road and brought it to the station. But people should know that they cannot get away with the crime as it is a punishable offence to kill an animal or bird while driving. We immediately filed a suo motu case after consulting with our senior officials,” Jagadeesha told Deccan Chronicle.

The team then informed the forest officials in Hebbal. “Mr. Chidananda, an officer from Hebbal, came to the station and we handed over the bird was to him. Dr Shankar from Veterinary College conducted the post-mortem. Later it was taken to Gangammanagudi forest area in Jalahalli,” another official said.

Peacock comes under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Section 51 of the Act prescribes a maximum imprisonment of six years, Rs 25,000 fine or both for killing the animals and birds specified on Schedule I. The Peenya traffic police have also registered the case under Section 279, 134 A &B of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act.

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