Three held for smuggling four langurs on train

Ghaziabad: The Government Railway Police (GRP) Friday morning rescued four langurs which were allegedly smuggled on a train from Lucknow to Delhi and were hidden

Ghaziabad: The Government Railway Police (GRP) Friday morning rescued four langurs which were allegedly smuggled on a train from Lucknow to Delhi and were hidden in gunny bags inside the toilet. The GRP officials said upon complaints by passengers of Lucknow Mail, the police entered the general coach from Ghaziabad and rescued the simians.

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According to police, they took into custody a man and two women who were allegedly transporting the animals to Delhi for sale. The officials of the forest department said the langurs were between one and half years and five years in age and were stuffed in gunny bags.

“The bag was kept inside the toilet of the general coach. Passengers complained to police after the animals started making noises on being suffocated inside the toilet. We rescued the four animals and handed them over to the forest department officials,” Ashok Sisodia, SHO of GRP police station, said.

Officials said the langurs were in shock and seemed traumatised. “The suspects told us they were taking the animals to keep them at their homes. But it is suspected that the animals were captured from the wild and were being taken to Delhi for sale,” he added.

Officials of the divisional forest department said langurs are a protected species under Schedule II (part I) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and cannot be owned, traded, bought, sold or hired out.

“The suspects were produced before a court and the four animals were taken into custody. They will be medically checked before released. We have registered a case under relevant sections of the Act,” said Deeksha Bhandari, divisional forest officer.