Parrot Poirot
Vijay Sharma, editor of the Swaraj Times, says “reporters need masala.” The masala, or spice mix, in the story of Sharma’s wife’s murder was their parrot Hercule: according to a Times of India reporter, the bird had squawked at the name of nephew Ashutosh and thereby led to his identification as the killer. But the bird’s name is Hira, not Hercule, and he did nothing so heroic. Agra, India, police found their suspect with “the best work I have seen in my 40 years as a journalist,” Sharma said, including such methods as considering whom the victim would have let into her home, and reviewing cell phone location data. But Sharma did say he confirmed the police conclusion with the parrot. (AC/Indian Express) ...Which makes him more careful than some other journalists.Author’s Note: See “Guess Who Squawked” a few pages back.
Original Publication Date: 23 March 2014
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 20.
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 20.
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