Chennai: The oscillating fate of Chinna thambi has been settled now. But he will, after all, spend his life in captivity.
The Madras high court placed its seal of approval on the government decision to send the ‘confused’ elephant to the Forest Department camp.
On Wednesday, the Madras high court directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to pass appropriate orders in writing stating the reasons for capturing the elephant ‘Chinnat thambi’ and keeping it in captivity.
A division bench comprising Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad gave the directive while passing orders on a Public Interest Litigation filed by People for Cattle in India. In its PIL, the petitioner sought to restrain the authorities from capturing, taming, tranquilising or harming the wild elephant in operation named as Chinna thambi.
When the petition came up for hearing on Wednesday, Advocate General Vijay Narayan produced a report of Ajay Desai, an elephant expert, before the bench and submitted that the expert was of the opinion that the elephant should be captured and brought into captivity and trained like other elephants in the Forest Department elephant camp.
After hearing both sides, the bench said the averments, submissions and the report of the expert warrant the capture of the elephant.
Therefore, it directs the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest to pass appropriate orders in writing stating the reasons for capturing the elephant and keeping it in captivity.
While capturing the elephant and transporting the same to captivity and thereafter detention, it makes it clear that the physical discomfort which the elephant likely to be exercised be the least. At the same time, adequate measures to be made for its safe journey to the place of captivity and while capturing and during transferring to the place of captivity safety and security of the people en route to be ensured, the bench added.
