The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday set free the pigeon, which was caught on the suspicion of being a Pakistani "spy bird", saying there was "nothing suspicious" about it.

A senior police official told Outlook that Police had not registered any case. “The bird is free. Whether it is from Pakistan or elsewhere, we don’t know. We only know that the bird is free,” he said.

On Monday, the pigeon was caught from Manyari area along the international border in Kathua with a ring in one of its legs. The locals caught it and later handed it to the investigating agencies. The police got the pigeon medically examined by a veterinary doctor and also fed him. Later, upon probing, the police didn’t find anything suspicious about him and set him free. The police said they took precautions since it is the border that necessitates taking things seriously.

The ring in its leg also had a number inscribed on it  and that led the villagers to suspect it was a Pakistani spy, and the digits had coded message. The ring prompted the villagers to hand over the pigeon to the security forces, who later handed it to the police.

However, Habibullah, a resident of Shakker Garh in Sialkot (Pakistan), who claimed to be the owner of the pigeon through a video message claimed that on Eid, his birds had taken a flight and one among them crossed the border.

“I love this pigeon and he should be set free,” the man appealed through a video message. “There is no border for pigeons. These birds are innocent. They don’t have any border. There is no code in the ring. It is my mobile number written in the ring and will find it in every pigeon I own. I have kept this ring tied to them so that if anyone catches them they can call me and return the bird. I appeal to the Government of India to set my pigeon free. I appeal Modi government to release my pigeon,” the man said in his video.