Parrot's clue helps police catch murderer in UP

The story appears to have been taken straight out of a Bollywood movie. A pet parrot, who was witness to the gruesome killing of its owner, provided vital clues to the police to nab the culprits about a week after the crime in Uttar Pradesh's Agra town, about 350 km from here.

The main culprit turned out to be a close relative of the victim. He has reportedly confessed to perpetrating the crime. He has been arrested along with an accomplice.

According to reports, Neelam Sharma, a resident of Gauri Bagh in Agra, was hacked to death at her home last week. The killers escaped with cash and valuables and also killed a pet dog. The police was groping in the dark even one week after the crime.

Neelam had a pet parrot named Mitthu. The bird was very close to her. Family members said the parrot had stopped eating after Neelam’s death.

The family members noticed that Mitthu's behaviour had changed after the murder. The bird used to squirm at a corner of its cage whenever it saw Ashutosh Goswami, Neelam's nephew. The bird did not react that way earlier.

Neelam's husband Vijay Sharma, who is the editor of a local Hindi daily, started taking names of people who frequented his house, before the parrot. He asked the bird if they were among the killers. The parrot, according to the family members, started shouting when Ashutosh's name was taken. The family members then alerted the police.

The police had a suspicion that Ashutosh could be involved in the killing as there were scratches on his arms. They felt that the scratches could have been sustained when the dog attacked them. They took Ashutosh into custody, where he admitted to his crime. His accomplice was also nabbed.

The police said Ashutosh was a drunkard and committed the crime for money.