Hyderabad, Oct. 21 -- Hyderabad Police rescued four palapittas, the Indian roller and Telangana's state bird, from cages near temples during Dasara. Around the same time, a video of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud freeing a caged palapitta at a festival event drew criticism.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said in a post on X that police acted on tip-offs from citizens and raided three locations. Two birds were found in cramped cages near a temple at Langarhouse Bapughat and were handed over to forest officials at KBR Park. A third, tied to a cage hanging from a tree near the Chatrinaka Sri Chitragupta Swamy Temple, and a fourth, kept in a cage near the Mangalhat Balajinagar Temple, ...