Another suspected spy pigeon caught in Odisha
Bhubaneswar (PTI): A suspected spy pigeon was found in Odisha's Puri district, police said on Thursday.
This is the second incident in the state in a week as another such pigeon was caught from a fishing boat off the Paradip coast in Jagatsinghpur district on March 8, they said.
This new pigeon was caught on Wednesday at Nanpur village in Astarang block of Puri district. A local nabbed it when it came for mingling with the other pigeons, police said.
It had tags attached to its legs with brass and plastic rings. One of the tags had 'REDDY VSP DN' engraved, while another bore the number 31 on it, they said.
Villagers claimed the pigeon was in the area for a week.
"We have pet pigeons at our house. This pigeon came to mingle with our doves, and we found something peculiar about it. It remained aloof and did not freely mix with the other pigeons. We also noticed some tags on its legs. So we decided to catch it, and used a fishing net for the purpose," said Bikram Pati, who caught the pigeon.
Police said they were investigating whether this pigeon was also being used for spying.
The pigeon caught on March 8 had devices that looked like a camera and a microchip fitted to it. It was sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for examination.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
