400 pigeons 'worth Rs 10 lakh' bred for Mughal-era sport stolen from Uttar Pradesh man's house

In Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, 65-year-old Muhammad Qayyum, a passionate pigeon racer, was left devastated when he found all his prized pigeons missing from his terrace on Monday morning. As per a TOI report, Qayyum, who has been continuing his family's tradition of "kabootarbazi" (pigeon racing) for generations, had raised hundreds of colourful pigeons, many of which were rare foreign breeds. These birds, worth around Rs 10 lakh, were housed in cages and coops on his terrace, and every morning, Qayyum would spend time feeding and training them.

However, that Monday, when he went up to the terrace for his daily routine, he was in for a shock. All the cages were empty. "I found 400 pigeons missing, and I was totally shattered. I realised they must have been stolen the previous night. Some of them had even participated in competitions," Qayyum said, visibly upset.

The police have launched an investigation, and the local SP, Ayush Vikram Singh, confirmed that a formal complaint has been filed at Lisadi Gate police station. Singh mentioned that the thieves likely used a ladder to climb up to the terrace and steal only the pigeons. "Apart from the birds, nothing else was stolen from his house," he said. CCTV footage from the surrounding areas is being reviewed to catch the culprits.


Qayyum's pigeons were a big attraction in the neighbourhood, with bird lovers frequently visiting to admire the rare breeds. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could have stolen so many birds right under his nose without anyone noticing. "It’s unbelievable. The thieves managed to disappear with 400 pigeons, and no one even heard a thing," he added, still in shock.

As the investigation continues, Qayyum is hoping for the safe return of his feathered friends and that the thieves are caught soon.

Inputs from TOI