After spending eight months in Indian police custody, a pigeon has been released after being cleared of suspicion as a Chinese spy. The bird was caught at a port in Mumbai with messages written in a Chinese-like script on its wings. Initially, the police had registered a case of spying against the bird, but after completing their inquiry, they dropped the charge. The unnamed bird was held at a city hospital while police carried out an investigation, which took an astonishing eight months, according to PETA India. The pigeon was released on Wednesday and flew away in good health. This is not the first time that Indian authorities have detained pigeons on suspicion of espionage, with previous incidents in 2016 and 2010.