Kerala: None arraigned yet for jumbo cruelty

ALAPPUZHA: The Alappuzha range officer is yet to prepare a detailed chargesheet on the cruelty meted out to Mullakkal Balakrishan, a temple elephant, which fell in the swamp at Cherthala on September 5 and was rescued after a 17-hour operation. The assistant conservator of forest (ACF) had submitted a preliminary chargesheet at Cherthala Judicial First Class Magistrate Court framing a case against the Travancore Devaswom Board  authorities and the mahouts under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Ms Sumi Joseph, ACF, Alappuzha, said,  “since we have submitted a preliminary report,   we are duty-bound to file a detailed chargesheet naming the accused in the case,” she said.

Range officer Nazharudheen Kunju said  the TDB authorities who were charged in the case had asked for a hearing. But none of them had turned up so far as they were  trying to get anticipatory bail, he said.    Balakrishnan, 45,  owned by TDB, had  jumped out of a  moving vehicle on the  national highway at Thuravoor,  run amok and fell into a swamp at Ananthankari near Thruravoor here in the wee hours of September 5.  The elephant was transported without obtaining proper permission from either Alappuzha  or Ernakulam ACF  and it was  not  given proper rest.    

The TDB has sought the sanction from ACF to shift Balakrishnan from Cherthala  to Mullakkal temple at Alappuzha. Currently the elephant is being treated on the premises of  Kumbanad temple premises at Cherthala. Mr Saseendra Dev,  TDB veterinarian who treats Balakrishnan, said the elephant was now fit to be moved to Alappuzha. The ACF said the sanction to shift it will be given only after conducting a detailed check up by a special team set up by the forest department.