To bring elephant Mahadevi back to Kolhapur shrine from Vantara, Maharashtra govt to intervene
CM indicates state forest dept can set up a centre with facilities similar to Reliance-run Vantara to take care of the elephant Mahadevi, also known as Madhuri
Mumbai: Following a public outcry, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday assured that his government will explore legal options to bring Mahadevi, a 36-year-old arthritic elephant, back to a Jain shrine in Kolhapur, days after she was relocated to Vantara, an animal rescue and rehabilitation centre run by the Reliance Foundation in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, last month following a Supreme Court order.
After holding a meeting over the matter on Tuesday, Fadnavis said, “Considering the public sentiments, the state government will intervene in the legal process to bring back the Mahadevi elephant. The Jain shrine will submit a review petition in the Supreme Court, and the state government will help them by submitting an intervention application.”
The chief minister also indicated that the state forest department can set up a centre with facilities similar to Vantara at the Kolhapur shrine to take care of the elephant.
Mahadevi, also known as Madhuri, was with the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswamy Sanstha at Nandani in Kolhapur for over three decades before the Supreme Court last month upheld the Bombay high court’s decision to relocate her to the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust in Jamnagar, managed by Vantara, for better care and rehabilitation.
This was after animal welfare organisations such as the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) approached the court, underlining the physically frail pachyderm’s poor health and arguing that she was not getting proper care at the temple.
{{/usCountry}}This was after animal welfare organisations such as the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) approached the court, underlining the physically frail pachyderm’s poor health and arguing that she was not getting proper care at the temple.
{{/usCountry}}The Supreme Court upheld the high court order on July 22, after which Mahadevi was given a tearful farewell from the temple and shifted to Vantara on July 28.
{{/usCountry}}The Supreme Court upheld the high court order on July 22, after which Mahadevi was given a tearful farewell from the temple and shifted to Vantara on July 28.
{{/usCountry}}Following Mahadevi’s relocation, thousands of people in Kolhapur participated in protests demanding her return to the shrine. The protestors boycotted Reliance Group’s Jio mobile service and marched for 45 km from the shrine to Kolhapur city on August 3, even as politicians from across the spectrum announced their support.
{{/usCountry}}Following Mahadevi’s relocation, thousands of people in Kolhapur participated in protests demanding her return to the shrine. The protestors boycotted Reliance Group’s Jio mobile service and marched for 45 km from the shrine to Kolhapur city on August 3, even as politicians from across the spectrum announced their support.
{{/usCountry}}In response, Vantara has said it did not request the elephant’s relocation from the shrine but only served as the “court-appointed recipient facility”.
Against this backdrop, Fadnavis held a meeting on Tuesday, which was attended by all party leaders, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Congress MLC Satej Patil, former MP Raju Shetti, and representatives of the Nandani shrine.
After the meeting, Shetti claimed that Pawar said during the meeting that he had received information about three to four other elephants being relocated from various parts and temples of Maharashtra to Vantara. Pawar has directed the forest department to collect information about elephants that have been relocated outside the state.
Vantara had not yet reacted to the latest move by the shrine and the government at the time of filing of this report on August 5.
