Accused in theft of Brazilian monkeys remanded

One of the accused in the theft of eight exotic monkeys from the Alipore Zoological Garden on August 9 was remanded in police custody for 10 days here on Sunday.

Sujoy Das, alias Bubai, was apprehended from his Dum Dum residence late on Saturday evening and produced in the Alipore court on Sunday, said Jawed Shamim, the city police’s Joint Commissioner (Headquarters).

Das was named in the confession of Rajesh Saikia, in whose possession the missing common marmosets from Brazil were found and rescued by the Chhattisgarh police on August 28, in Durg, 44 km from Raipur.

The sensational theft had resulted in the suspension of zoo director Subir Chaudhuri, and the dismissal of the Managing Committee.

A three-member team accompanied the police in escorting the monkeys back to the zoo, said Raju Das, joint director of the Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve, who has taken over additional charge as zoo director. Saikia will also be brought over here.

To be quarantined

“The monkeys will have to be kept in quarantine under observation for 10-15 days after they are brought back on Monday as they might have contracted infections by being exposed to other animals,” Mr. Das said.

“There are several contradictions in the statements of Rajesh Saikia and Sujoy Das, which can be cleared up only when they are questioned together,” Mr. Shamim said. However, both have confessed that they were involved in the crime. The two become acquainted when they were jailed in Pune in cases relating to violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Mr. Shamim said.

The involvement of the zoo authorities or the personnel of the private security agency, who were guarding the monkeys on that night, is yet to be confirmed.