Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has sought the state government’s response to a petition filed by a Bengaluru resident seeking the return of an African grey parrot seized by the CID Forest Mobile Squad. The court issued notices to the concerned authorities and scheduled the next hearing for November 3.
The petition was filed by R. Mahesh Kumar, a resident of Rajajinagar, who has challenged the seizure of the bird and sought directions for its return. Justice C.M. Poonacha issued notices to the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of the Forest Department and the CID Forest Mobile Squad after hearing the matter.
The government counsel has been instructed to collect details from the respondents and inform the court about the case.
In his petition, Mahesh Kumar stated that he had been looking after the parrot since 2018, when a friend handed it over to him. The bird, identified as an African grey parrot or Psittacus erithacus, allegedly had a disability affecting one of its wings, which prevented it from flying.
The petitioner claimed that he took care of the bird out of affection and concern for its condition and arranged medical treatment for it. He maintained that he had not purchased the parrot and had never attempted to sell it.
According to the petition, officials from the CID Forest Mobile Squad took the bird into their custody on July 27, 2026. The authorities subsequently sought an explanation from him regarding the circumstances under which he had kept the parrot.
Mahesh Kumar also referred to a notice issued on July 31, directing him to cooperate with the investigation, submit the necessary documents and preserve all evidence related to the matter. The notice allegedly warned of possible action under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in the event of non-compliance.
The petitioner has argued that his possession of the bird was motivated by concern for its welfare and not by commercial interests. He has asked the court to quash the show-cause notice and direct the authorities to return the parrot to him.
The High Court has sought the authorities’ response before proceeding further. No final decision has been made on the petition, and the dispute will be considered at the next hearing on November 3.
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