Parading elephants is part of culture; Supreme Court against High Court; notice on petition against Judges

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has opposed the action of the High Court judges who have issued orders against elephant processions. The Supreme Court, which observed that the elephant procession is part of the culture, also raised doubts as to whether the High Court is trying to stop it. The Supreme Court has set aside the interim order including restrictions imposed by the High Court Division Bench comprising Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and P. Gopinath. The intervention of the bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma was on a petition filed by the Vishwa Gaja Seva Samithi alleging allegations against the High Court judges.

Notices have been sent to the Central and State Governments, four Devaswom Boards, Animal Welfare Board, DGP, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and others on the allegations against the judges. The matter will be considered again on May 6. The Vishwa Gaja Seva Samithi's petition alleged that the elephant procession case was discussed in a case in connection with the killing of a stray dog ​​named 'Bruno', taken up by the High Court on its own initiative.

Justice Jayasankaran Nambiar wrote a letter to the Chief Justice in person and filed the case. 'The bench comprising Justices Jayasankaran Nambiar and P. Gopinath is considering the case with some vested interests. An expert committee was formed in collaboration with some voluntary organizations, contrary to the existing law. It is also said that the elephants being captured are government property. Such an observation was made in the dispute before the Supreme Court,' the petition alleged.

Domestic elephant survey also stayed

The High Court orders, such as forming a district committee to conduct a survey of domestic elephants (with and without licenses), not allowing elephants without licenses to parade, and not issuing any new licenses, etc., were stayed.

Proceedings not frozen

The Supreme Court did not accept the organization's request to freeze the proceedings in the High Court Division Bench. The request of Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms to transfer the case to the Supreme Court was also rejected. The Devaswoms withdrew the petition after the Supreme Court hardened its stance that it would not hear the arguments. The Supreme Court also directed the High Court to inform it of its position. The Supreme Court also asked whether the Devaswoms' aim was to transfer the case to outside Kerala.