Guwahati, Sep 14: The Assam government has moved the Gauhati High Court in the matter relating to the health of a female captive elephant from the state that was taken to a temple in Tamil Nadu on lease back in 2011.
According to reports, a four-member team of forest and police officials from the state, currently stationed in Tamil Nadu, has not been able to physically inspect the condition of ‘Joymala,’ the elephant, even after almost two weeks of their presence in the southern state.
Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Assam’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden M.K Yadava informed that a petition has, in the meantime, been filed in Gauhati High Court in this regard and that the state government was awaiting the court’s directive.
It may be noted that amid media reports of “inhumane treatment” meted out to the female elephant in Tamil Nadu, 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.
“The team has not returned from Tamil Nadu. It is currently in Chennai. In the meantime, a letter from the additional chief secretary, forest department of Tamil Nadu has been sent to our chief secretary. But we have not been able to ascertain any facts from them so far but they have assured us that the elephant was doing fine,” Yadava said.
Earlier, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as a follow-up action to the media reports about the elephant’s ill treatment in Tamil Nadu, held a meeting with senior officials of the state forest and police department and decided to send the four-member delegation to the southern state.
A video of the elephant being allegedly tortured has also gone viral on social media.
Animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, India (PETA India), had on August 26, released a video on Twitter showing Joymala being “tortured” by mahouts inside a temple in Tamil Nadu.
