RAJURA, India, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Police in India said a parrot detained on allegations of shouting obscenities at an elderly woman refused to utter a single word for officers.

Chandrapur district police said the parrot, Hariyal, was detained at the police station in Rajura, Maharashtra, after Janabai Sakharkar, 85, told investigators the parrot would shout obscene words and phrases at her whenever she would pass by the home of its owner, her stepson.


Sakharkar told police she believes her stepson, Suresh, trained the parrot to shout obscenities at her because of an ongoing land dispute between the family members.

Police said the parrot did not speak in front of officers, even when confronted by Sakharkar.

"There is a dispute over land and property between the woman and her stepson. We watched the parrot carefully, but it did not utter a word at the police station after being confronted by the complainant," Police Inspector P.S. Dongre told reporters.

Police said they decided not to return Hariyal to his owner and instead put the bird in the care of forest department officials for rehabilitation.