Delhi Police follow ‘protocol’, give tricolour burial to peacock

The Delhi Police on Friday wrapped a dead peacock in tricolour before burying it in a wooden box. The protocol which was reserved only for the funerals of martyred Army personnel and national figures was extended to the peacock.

The bird was rescued by the cops after they received a call regarding an injured peacock lying outside gate number five of Delhi high court. While the bird was taken to the Jain Bird Hospital in Chandni Chowk but was declared brought dead. 

According to the police, they were following ‘protocol’ and gave the bird full honour and buried it with a tricolour as it is India’s national bird. 

However, wildlife activists stated that since peacock was a schedule-I bird, the funeral may have violated the Wildlife Act.

Animal activist Gauri Maulekhi informed that she had written a letter to the forest department after a dead peacock was reported at the Janakpuri police station on April 16. 

Elaborating further, she was quoted saying, “This is in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act as no NGO or police even can get a postmortem conducted or bury the animal. It needs to be handed over to forest department who are required to either cremate or bury the animal themselves to ensure no parts are smuggled. The correct protocol is not being followed in the case of peacock deaths and I have written to the forest department asking them to inform each police station on the procedure or to either empower them under section 55(b) of the act.”