A total of 165 turtles have been rescued at Howrah station on Friday. Reports said that the turtles were packed in some abandoned bags of the old complex of Howrah railway station.
As per media reports, on Friday afternoon a secret surveillance on various platforms of Howrah station was conducted jointly by the RPF, GRPS and CIB.
The teams found few bags were found lying in a suspicious condition in front of the CTI Outdoor office adjacent to platform 12. A search revealed live turtles wrapped in netting inside the bags.
In this case, no one has been arrested so far. All the rescued turtles have been handed over to the forest department by the Railway Police (RPF). The forest department has sent them to Garhchumuk Rescue Centre at night.
Railway police said there was a long wait after the bag was found. But no one came and claimed ownership of the bag. As a result, it was not known who was smuggling the turtles.
A railway police official said the initial investigation suggested that the turtles were being smuggled and the accused fled the spot on seeing the police. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
According to forest department sources, the turtles were rescued from a total of eight bags of different colours. They are of the Indian flapshell species. The animals are said to be in good health.
Image Courtesy: Bartaman Patrika
Pooja Jha is a journalist and editor who writes on governance, technology, culture, and urban affairs. With a keen eye for detail, she brings clarity and context to stories that matter to everyday readers. She can be reached at: thekolkatan@gmail.com
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