A routine security check at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) turned unusual on Monday when CISF personnel detected an object resembling a human skull inside a passenger’s baggage, officials said.
The passenger, who was travelling from Delhi to Hyderabad, was stopped during screening after the object was spotted. When questioned, he told the CISF that it was a monkey skull.
Object sent for wildlife assessment
The unusual discovery led the CISF to hand the passenger over to the local police. Officials are now waiting for the wildlife department to determine exactly what the object is.
The passenger’s claim that it was a monkey skull has not yet been independently established. Police said the assessment by wildlife authorities will be important in determining whether the possession or transportation of the object amounts to a violation of wildlife laws.
The case has also raised the possibility of a wildlife-related offence, although police have not reached any conclusion at this stage.
Police await report before deciding action
Deputy commissioner of police (IGI) Vichitra Veer said the wildlife department’s assessment would determine the next course of action.
“The opinion of the wildlife department is essential in all such matters, to establish what the object in contention is and whether carrying it amounts to a violation. Legal action, if made out, is taken accordingly,” Veer said on Wednesday.
Police said no final decision can be taken until the nature of the object is established and the relevant provisions of law are assessed.
The incident began with the security screening process at the airport, where CISF personnel noticed the object in the passenger’s baggage. After being questioned, the passenger identified it as a monkey skull.
Further action after Wildlife department's opinion
The Wildlife department’s report is now awaited. Authorities will examine the object and determine whether its possession or transportation breaches any applicable wildlife regulations.
For now, police have not confirmed that the object is a human or monkey skull, and no offence has been established against the passenger.
Further action will depend on the findings of the wildlife authorities and whether any violation of law is made out.