Jharsuguda, August 18: Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at Brajrajnagar railway station in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district seized 20 imported Persian cats during a routine inspection of the Mumbai-Shalimar Express in the early hours of Sunday.
According to RPF sources, the cats were being transported from Mumbai to Santaragachhi in Kolkata by a couple, identified as Ameen Shaikh and his wife, who were also traveling with their four-month-old baby. The couple had boarded the train in Mumbai and were en route to West Bengal when they were intercepted by RPF officials after the train arrived at Brajrajnagar around 2:30 AM.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the cats, all of foreign breed, were being transported with the intent to be sold at a farm in Santaragachhi. The RPF rescued the animals and has launched a detailed probe to determine the legality of the transportation and the intended purpose behind the consignment.
Authorities are also investigating whether any violations of animal transport or import regulations have occurred in the process. Further action will be taken based on the outcome of the ongoing investigation, RPF officials confirmed.
