Madras HC directs officials to shift Samayapuram temple elephant Masini to Mudumalai

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Wednesday directed authorities to shift Samayapuram temple elephant Masini, undergoing rehabilitation and treatment at Veterinary College and Research Institute in Orathanadu, to the Theppakadu camp in Mudumalai.
A division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice N Satish Kumar issued the directions in response to a PIL seeking to restrain the Hindu religious and charitable endowment (HR & CE) department to use Masini in temples.

A day earlier, the dean of Veterinary College and Research Institute submitted to the court that the animal was recovering and could be sent to the Theppakadu camp.

After perusing the submissions made, the division bench directed authorities to transport the elephant to her earlier habitat and continue rehabilitation there.

The bench also directed a doctor to be posted in the camp to monitor the animal’s health round the clock. Further, the dean of Veterinary College and Research Institute has been instructed to visit the camp once a week and keep an update on the animal’s health.

A compliance report should be filed by December 20 when the case willl be heard again.

The elephant was in the news after she trampled her mahout to death at the Samayapuram Mariamman temple near Trichy in May this year.

Masini was found by the forest department personnel in 2007 as a three-month-old calf after she was abandoned by her herd in Kargudi forest range, Mudumalai. The calf was moved to the Theppakadu elephant camp.

In 2016, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa donated Masini to the Samayapuram Mariamman temple after which the elephant came under the control of the HR&CE department.