Laxmi has been missing since July 6. (File)The Delhi government’s department of forest and wildlife has rubbished before the Delhi High Court a man’s claim that his elephant, Laxmi, was forcibly removed from his custody. The department, in its affidavit before a division bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel, said that it was acting as per the court’s orders, which has directed it to shift the elephant to a permanent site after finalising necessary arrangements.
The court had earlier ordered that captive elephants be shifted to a different location after it was apprised that their owners had failed to provide proper home and health facilities to them. The Delhi government, in its affidavit filed through additional standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi, said that “only after getting clearance from Haryana’s Chief Wildlife Warden, the Delhi Forest and Wildlife Department initiated action to seize the animal and send it to Elephant Rescue Centre, Bansantour, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana”.
The Delhi government’s response came on the elephant owner’s plea seeking contempt action against some of its officials for trying to take possession of Laxmi in “violation of judicial orders”. He alleged that on July 6, officials came to seize Laxmi from Haathi Ghat in Yamuna Pushta and manhandled his wife. Following this, Laxmi ran off into a jungle and has been missing since.
Opposing Ali’s contention, the Delhi government sought dismissal of the plea with “compensatory and exemplary cost” on him.
