Pathankot:
Nine days after it was spotted, caught and handed over to the police, a pigeon suspected to have flown from Pakistan, has now found a new home in Pathankot.
The white female pigeon with a Pakistani seal and 'Tehsil Shakargarh, district Narowal' stamped on it in Urdu, was spotted and caught by Ramesh Kumar from his house at Manwal village on the Indo-Pak border and handed over to the police. It then remained in the police custody for a few days.
The police have now handed over the pigeon to Ramanjit Singh, who owns a shelter for birds in the area. "The birds are periodically medically examined," said Mr Singh.
The white female pigeon has been kept in the company of a male pigeon, Mr Singh told reporters, adding that hat he is feeding the birds with wheat, lentils, pigeon peas and black grams.
The 'suspect' pigeon, the police said, was kept in custody as it had created a furore in Pathankot.
Bird watchers in the sensitive border area had earlier told the police that Pakistani doves were easily distinguishable from their Indian brethren.