JMFC awards interim custody after rescue of overcrowded consignment that began in Howrah
Mumbai — A judicial magistrate at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) has granted interim custody of 282 birds to Kalote Animal Trust following a rescue that originated from a consignment dispatched from Howrah, records and reporting show.
The case unfolded after activists from PETA India alerted railway authorities to a large number of small birds being transported in severely overcrowded conditions on board the Geetanjali Express (Train No. 12860). Members of the Government Railway Police (GRP), Mumbai, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) intercepted the parcel at CSMT when the train arrived shortly after midnight on 8 September.
During inspection, officials found that roughly 2,100 birds — including budgerigars, finches and cockatiels — were being carried in the train’s parcel compartment in seven cages with very little room to move after a journey that lasted more than 32 hours. Following initial checks, the consignment was released to consignees who reportedly operate a pet shop in Kurla.
After PETA India escalated the matter, the CSMT Railway Police Station registered a First Information Report (FIR). The case was filed under Sections 62 and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and under Sections 11(1)(a), 11(1)(e), 11(1)(f) and 11(1)(k) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, according to the complaint and police records.
Following the FIR, police conducted a raid on the Kurla pet shop and seized 337 birds. A government veterinarian examined the seized animals, but 55 birds later died in hospice care, the paperwork shows. Post-mortem examinations were carried out on the deceased birds.
“The court has permitted interim custody of 282 birds to Kalote Animal Trust,” the application filed by PETA India before the 35th JMFC, CSMT, stated, seeking secure care for the rescued birds.
The application before the 35th JMFC sought interim custody on the basis of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property) provisions. The magistrate’s interim order directs that the specified number of birds be handed over to Kalote Animal Trust, an animal sanctuary located in Raigad district of Maharashtra, for care and rehabilitation.
- Origin of consignment: Howrah (dispatched on Geetanjali Express)
- Interception: CSMT, shortly after midnight on 8 September
- Seized: 337 birds from Kurla pet shop after FIR and raid
- Deaths: 55 birds died while in hospice care post-seizure
- Interim custody: 282 birds ordered to Kalote Animal Trust by 35th JMFC, CSMT
| Item | Number |
|---|---|
| Birds observed aboard train | ~2,100 |
| Cages found in parcel compartment | 7 |
| Birds seized from shop | 337 |
| Deaths in hospice care | 55 |
| Birds placed in interim custody | 282 |
The development underscores continuing scrutiny of long-distance animal consignments originating from large transport hubs such as Howrah, which serves as a major rail gateway for West Bengal. Legal action and the court’s interim custody order place the focus on both the conditions of shipment and the responsibilities of consignors and consignees under animal welfare laws.
Local pet traders, transporters and animal-welfare advocates are likely to follow subsequent hearings in the 35th JMFC as the matter proceeds, with the possibility of further seizures, forensic reports and criminal proceedings depending on the outcome of investigations and veterinary findings filed in court.
Authorities in Mumbai carried out the initial interception and action after receiving the complaint and evidence from PETA India; subsequent measures including custody and rehabilitation of birds were ordered by the magistrate at CSMT. The file will remain under judicial consideration as the case moves forward.
Reporting from the region notes the case highlights intersections of interstate transport, animal welfare law and enforcement at railheads that are important to urban and suburban communities linked to Howrah’s rail network.
