Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on elephant death: ‘Investigation underway, focussing on three suspects’
Reacting on the tragic death of a pregnant elephant in Palakkad district, which has evoked widespread condemnation, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Thursday stated that an investigation focussing on three suspects is underway and asserted that everything possible will be done to bring the “culprits to justice”.
“An investigation is underway, focusing on three suspects. The police and forest departments will jointly investigate the incident. The district police chief and the district forest officer visited the site today. We will do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice,” CM Vijayan tweeted, adding that concerns relating to the incident will not go in vain.
An investigation is underway, focusing on three suspects. The police and forest departments will jointly investigate the incident. The district police chief and the district forest officer visited the site today. We will do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) June 4, 2020
The Kerala CM also said that his government will try to address the causes behind the increased incidences of human-wildlife conflict.
However, CM Vijayan condemned the hate campaign against the state and said Kerala is “a society that respects the outrage against injustice”.
“We are saddened by the fact some have used this tragedy to unleash a hate campaign. Lies built upon inaccurate descriptions and half truths were employed to obliterate the truth. Some even tried to import bigotry into the narrative. Wrong priorities,” he continued.
“If there is any silver lining in this, it is that we now know that we can make our voices heard against injustice. Let us be that people who fight injustice in all its forms; everytime, everywhere,” he added.
The elephant’s killing came to spotlight on May 30 after Mohan Krishnan, a section forest officer in Mannarkkad in Palakkad district, wrote a heartfelt note on Facebook which quickly went viral. It has been alleged that the elephant was injured after it was fed a pineapple stuffed with explosives.
The angle of whether someone intentionally gave the elephant the fruit-laced explosive is being probed. But the strong possibility before the officials is that it could have been a snare laid to kill wild boars and pigs.
“In the forest fringes, there have been reports of crackers and country-bombs being used to trap and kill pigs and other wild animals. It’s illegal too, so we’re not belittling it. But it could be a possibility that the elephant accidentally ate it,” K K Sunil Kumar, divisional forest officer, Mannarkkad told The Indian Express.
Earlier in the day, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the central government has taken a “very serious” note of the incident. “We will not leave any stone unturned to investigate properly and nab the culprit(s). This is not an Indian culture to feed fire crackers and kill,” he tweeted.