'Every life matters': Kerala villagers, collector and judges unite to save a sparrow

Representative image

The residents of Ullikkal village in Kannur, Kerala came together to rescue a house sparrow trapped for three days inside the glass frontage of a sealed textile shop.

The shop had remained closed for six months due to a legal dispute between its partners and a subsequent High Court order. Locals believe the sparrow entered the shop through a small pipe opening and couldn't find its way back out.

On Tuesday, the bird was spotted helpless between the shop’s glass front and the metal shutter. Auto drivers and nearby shopkeepers noticed the distressed bird but were unable to intervene due to legal restrictions preventing access to the premises.

The villagers reached out to the local panchayat, forest department, and revenue officials. They constantly fed the sparrow grains and water through the pipe. As media attention grew, district collector Arun K Vijayan contacted district judge Nisar Ahmed, who coordinated with HC judges Mohammed Mushtaq and Ravi to obtain clearance in the textile shop case.

The district judge then reached out to two High Court judges and obtained permission to open the shop. He travelled nearly 50 kilometers from Thalassery and arrived at the shop on Thursday morning to oversee the rescue.

With the shutters finally lifted, a villager captured the sparrow, which was still disoriented, and released it, with the cheers of the gathered crowd as it soared to freedom in the sky.

Judge Ahmed said every life, whether human, animal or bird, mattered and neither our laws nor courts should obstruct it. “Disputes often arise among humans, which lead to legal cases and certain measures are put in place until the case is resolved. The significance of this incident is that courts or the law won't come as an obstruction to human or animal life,” he said.

He also commended High Court Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and T R Ravi for their support and praised the efforts of the local residents and the media in ensuring the bird’s rescue.

The residents of Ullikkal village in Kannur, Kerala came together to rescue a house sparrow trapped for three days inside the glass frontage of a sealed textile shop.

The shop had remained closed for six months due to a legal dispute between its partners and a subsequent High Court order. Locals believe the sparrow entered the shop through a small pipe opening and couldn't find its way back out.

On Tuesday, the bird was spotted helpless between the shop’s glass front and the metal shutter. Auto drivers and nearby shopkeepers noticed the distressed bird but were unable to intervene due to legal restrictions preventing access to the premises.

The villagers reached out to the local panchayat, forest department, and revenue officials. They constantly fed the sparrow grains and water through the pipe. As media attention grew, district collector Arun K Vijayan contacted district judge Nisar Ahmed, who coordinated with HC judges Mohammed Mushtaq and Ravi to obtain clearance in the textile shop case.

The district judge then reached out to two High Court judges and obtained permission to open the shop. He travelled nearly 50 kilometers from Thalassery and arrived at the shop on Thursday morning to oversee the rescue.

With the shutters finally lifted, a villager captured the sparrow, which was still disoriented, and released it, with the cheers of the gathered crowd as it soared to freedom in the sky.

Judge Ahmed said every life, whether human, animal or bird, mattered and neither our laws nor courts should obstruct it. “Disputes often arise among humans, which lead to legal cases and certain measures are put in place until the case is resolved. The significance of this incident is that courts or the law won't come as an obstruction to human or animal life,” he said.

He also commended High Court Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and T R Ravi for their support and praised the efforts of the local residents and the media in ensuring the bird’s rescue.