Hercule the Parrot helps solve murder case

Should police employ parrots as detectives? A pet parrot helps solve a murder in India. (Getty)

A parrot has helped Indian police solve its owner's murder.

Neelam Sharma, the wife of the editor of a Hindi daily newspaper, was killed in her home in Agra, 120 miles from New Delhi, together with her pet dog. The police had no initial leads on the murder, until the parrot, named Hercule, provided a key clue.

Vijay Sharma, Neelam’s husband, picked up on the fact that whenever his nephew visited, Hercule would start screeching. The parrot would even respond when the nephew’s name "Ashutosh" was mentioned in conversation. Sharma alerted the police to his suspicions, who interrogated the newly found suspect. Ashutosh confessed, telling the police he had entered the home with an accomplice in order to steal money and valuables and had been caught in the act by his aunt. Afraid that she would recognise him, he stabbed her to death. He also stabbed and killed her dog, which wouldn’t stop barking.

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t take the parrot into account. Hercule had kept his mouth wisely shut during the murder, only to open it later to reveal the truth.