Nidhi in a kennel at Bagbera. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, April 27: A two-month reprieve notwithstanding, the fate of Nidhi, the star sniffer of the Railway Protection Force (Tatanagar) till now, is set to come under the hammer.

With the RPF deciding to replace Nidhi with a pair of Labrador puppies shortly, the kennel at the Tatanagar unit has been modified for the new guests. Clearly, the 13-year-old female Doberman’s days with her former masters are numbered. RPF inspector R.C. Bhuin said: “Nidhi is fine. But she would be auctioned shortly. We have to fix a fresh date for the same after consultation with higher authorities.”

Besides Tatanagar, Labrador puppies have also been requisitioned for Bandamunda and Rourkela units. “Though there are two Labradors and a Doberman at Bandamunda, more are needed keeping in mind rising incidents of crime in railway areas,” a source said.

The puppies meant for Bandamunda may be reared at the RPF zonal training school in Kharagpur, sources said. Rourkela does not have a kennel but efforts are on to construct the facility there.

Bhuin said enquiries related to Nidhi’s auction have been trickling in. “She’s a trained sniffer who can prove to be very handy when it comes to security,” Bhuin added.

A regular in patrol operations on platforms and in leading escort teams on trains, Nidhi had led a team of police officers to killers of a man near Hata in East Singhbhum. The brown Doberman also played an active role in apprehending the killer of a railway guard at Dongaposi in neighbouring West Singhbhum.

Procured from New Delhi when just a month old, Nidhi will be carrying a minimum price tag of just Rs 150 at the auction. “We’ll assure that she goes to the right hands. We have reared her like our own baby. Her health would be checked by a vet before the auction,” he said.