Assam govt files a petition in Gauhati High Court after Tamil Nadu refuses to return the elephant

Guwahati: Assam government filed a petition in Gauhati High Court after Tamil Nadu refused to return the elephants.

With reports of cruelty being meted out to an elephant from Assam in Tamil Nadu, Assam government send a four-member team constituted for the purpose to Tamil Nadu and inspect the condition of Joymala, the elephant. However, access was reportedly denied.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest tweeted, saying the present team is taking good care of the jumbo and recent visuals of cruelty to the animal were old.

MK Yadava, Assam's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest said: "In the petition, we stated that the elephant [Joymala] is ours and we asked for its return [from Tamil Nadu]. There is no legal connection between a 'gift' and a 'lease'. The elephants were given on lease and it is the duty of the person to return the animal. We had earlier appealed to them [Tamil Nadu] to return the elephants."