Thursday, Oct 14, 2010
http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/14/stories/2010101462660400.htm
http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/14/stories/2010101462660400.htm
CHENNAI: Fifty pigeons were burnt to death when their house, on the terrace of a building on Mettu Street, Thiruvanmiyur, was set on fire by miscreants in the early hours of Wednesday.
A complaint has been lodged with the Thiruvanmiyur police by M.Kannan (44), a pigeon racing enthusiast who owned the birds. Twelve pigeons survived the fire.
“On Monday night, I locked all the pigeons in the cages on the terrace of my house and went to bed. I woke up around 4 a.m. hearing my neighbours scream that the cages were on fire,” Kannan said.Following this, he along with some neighbours, rushed to the terrace and put out the fire with water from the overhead tank.
Birds used for racing
Fifty pigeons including those used for racing died as they were locked in the wooden cages. Kannan and others managed to save 12 birds.
“I suspect that someone had climbed on to my terrace from the neighbouring building and doused the cages with petrol before setting them ablaze,” Kannan said.
Suspects
In his police complaint, he suspected two youngsters, who approached him to buy two of his pigeons on Tuesday night, behind the incident.
“They came through my friend and I refused their offer by telling them that the birds were not for sale,” said Kannan, who has been breeding the birds for the last three decades.
Thiruvanmiyur police have registered a case under Section 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc., of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) of the IPC and are investigating.
