Owner of jumbo in Javadekar welcome party fined Rs 7,000

When the matter came up for hearing, the court also warned them that if they commit a similar offence next time, the pachyderm would be ‘seized’ and sent to Arignar Anna Zoological Park at suburban Vandalur. 

On November 5, the elephant, brought from Tiruchy for a national convention function in the city attended by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, was ‘detained’ by the forest department officials. The function was organised by Bharatiya Jan Sangathan, a nationwide movement dedicated to the cause of social upliftment, educational development and distress management during national calamities.

The organisers had said that the elephant was taken away by the forest department officials, even before Javadekar came to the venue. “Since no permission was granted to display the elephant, it was taken away by the forest department officials,” the organisers said. The elephant was ‘removed’ following a complaint from animal rights activists. Following this, animal welfare activists lodged a complaint and cases were registered under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, the owner of the elephant, Sekar from Srirangam, and its mahout, Annamalai, appeared before the court and submitted a petition stating that they were not aware that prior permission had to be obtained for deploying an elephant as part of the welcome committee of a Minister.

They also submitted that this was for the first time they had used the elephant for such purposes. The Magistrate, considering that the offence was committed for the first time, issued a warning to them and imposed a fine of Rs 7,700.

The court also directed that they could take the elephant along with them after paying the fine amount.