Guwahati, Sep 16: The Gauhati High Court on Friday issued an interim order directing the Tamil Nadu government to allow the delegation from Assam to inspect “within three days” the condition of a female captive elephant from the state that was taken to a temple in the southern state on lease back in 2011.
Amid media reports of “inhumane treatment” meted out to “Joymala”, the elephant, a team led by additional principal chief conservator of forests Hirdesh Mishra had left for Tamil Nadu on September 2 to discuss the matter with forest officials of that state, inspect the elephant and pave the way for its return to Assam.
However, the team has reportedly not been permitted to inspect the condition of the elephant till date.
The state government, after “not getting a positive response from its Tamil Nadu counterpart in regard to bringing the elephant back to Assam”, had filed a writ petition in Gauhati High Court last Monday, the hearing of which was fixed for Friday.
“The high court has now issued notices of motion to the Union forest ministry and Tamil Nadu government, besides notices to the state’s chief secretary and the DGP seeking a response by September 28, 2022,” Devajit Saikia, Advocate General, Assam, informed mediapersons on Friday.
“In the meantime, the court has given an interim order directing the Tamil Nadu government to give permission to the visiting delegation from Assam to inspect the condition of the elephants in the state. Besides, the chief secretary and the DGP have also been directed to provide security and police protection to the delegation during their inspection,” he said.
Saikia further said that during the hearing, the high court took account of the Assam government’s attempts to bring back the female elephant and others taken to the southern state over the past year or so.
“In fact, the Tamil Nadu government had also issued a no-objection certificate and given us the financial requirements in April this year in this regard. However, since the Tamil Nadu government was yet to give us the bank account numbers, the money (to bring the elephants back) could not be transferred to the bank accounts as yet,” he said.