The Madhya Pradesh High Court today refused to hand over a female elephant, rescued from captivity, to its mahout, and directed the authorities to send her to the Kanha National Park.
Justice S C Sharma dismissed a petition filed by mahout Bhan Singh who had sought the animal back.
Laxmi, the elephant, was rescued from Singh's possession last year. At that time, she was suffering from injuries.
Opposing the mahout's petition, advocate Rahul Laad, lawyer of an NGO which had filed an intervention application in the case, said Singh doesn't have the mandatory licence issued by the forest department for keeping the animal.
The court dismissed the mahout's application and directed that Laxmi be sent to the Kanha National Park within 10 days where it can roam free.
The forest department had rescued the elephant on a complaint filed by Priyanshu Jain, president of Vinayak Animal Bird and Civil Development Association, from Rajendra Nagar area here, and sent it to the Kamala Nehru Zoo in the city.
The mahout treated Laxmi with cruelty and she was forced to walk on city streets despite leg injuries, the NGO alleged.
Zoo in-charge Uttam Yadav said that Laxmi is now doing fine following medical treatment, and is kept with a male elephant Moti. After she is sent to Kanha park, the zoo will have to look for a new companion for Moti, he added.
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