Govt stalls action against elephant owners, orders probe

Decision based on a plea that claimed the owners were falsely accused of illegally trading captive elephants

The wildlife crime cases booked against two elephant owners are taking a curious turn with the State government putting on hold all proceedings against them after considering a petition from the Elephant Owners Association.

In his order, the Principal Secretary (Forest) has asked the Chief Wildlife Warden to stop all the proceedings against the elephant owners considering a representation submitted to the Forest Minister and also called for an urgent report on the complaint that Forest officials were personally defaming the elephant owners.

Incidentally, The Hindu had on Thursday reported that seven cases were booked against M.V. Prasanth of Thiruvananthapuram, V. Shaji of Kaveri Puthenkulam, Kollam, and few others, and 15 elephants were taken into custody. It was the YouTube video of Mr. Shaji in which he claimed to have traded over 200 elephants brought from other States that triggered the case. The elephant owners were booked for illegally transporting, trading and maintaining captive elephants in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act and Captive Elephant Management Rules, Kerala.

In his representation to Forest Minister, G. Krishnaprasad, president of the association, complained that the officials were unnecessarily targeting Mr. Shaji. He also alleged that the Forest officials raised a ruckus at the house of Mr. Shaji after falsely alleging that his elephants did not possess ownership certificates.

In the case of Mr. Prasanth, the association charged that he was being falsely implicated regarding the death of an elephant in 2018. The Forest officials had conducted the post mortem of the animal and taken its tusks into custody, it was submitted.

Incidentally, the Forest Department launched the probe against Mr. Prasanth on a complaint from Aana Ulsava Samrakshana Sahaya Sangham, Thrissur. In its complaint, the organisation pointed out that an elephant was illegally transported to the State in violation of the rules and instructions of the Kerala High Court.

Responding to the government order, A.A. Aneesh, State secretary of the Sangham, said the organisation would challenge the order in a court of law. Though the organisation had filed several complaints regarding the illegal practices involving captive elephants, the Forest officials never responded to it, he alleged.

At the same time, senior forest officials indicated that the legal proceedings in the cases booked against elephant owners in the courts would continue. First Information Reports were filed at Judicial First Class Magistrate Court 1, Nedumangad and Judicial First Class Magistrate Court 2 (Forest Offences), Punalur, they pointed out.

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