Ahmedabad’s elephant cruelty case: Maneka Gandhi’s NGO responds

Soon after the Jagannath Rathyatra in Ahmedabad, a video showing a mahout mercilessly beating an innocent elephant went viral.

Seeing the condition of the poor animal, Gujarat Samachar Digital sought a response from Maneka Gandhi’s People For Animal (PFA), a non-governmental organisation.

Responding to a mail from GS Digital, Aswin Karthik S from PFA, Delhi, said, “I have spoken in detail with Jaipal Singh, chief wildlife warden Gujarat and Dr K Ramesh, Chief Conservator of Forests Ahmedabad, regarding the matter. Dr Ramesh, who is directly handling this case, has confirmed that a field inspection has already been conducted by the local forest authorities under his supervision.” said.

According to PFA, statements have been recorded from the Mahants of the Peedham who are organising the yatra, and veterinary doctors have been deployed to ensure the health and welfare of the elephants during the procession. Furthermore, Dr Ramesh has assured that the mahout responsible for inflicting harm will be removed from duty with immediate effect.

As per the inspection report, all other elephants have been found to be in satisfactory condition.

On June 28, a video had surfaced showing the mahout violently beating the chained elephant with a stick or pipe. The 45-second clip records at least 19 blows, including strikes to the elephant’s stomach, legs, and even its trunk. At one point, the elephant appeared to collapse in distress from the beating.