Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has ordered a Supreme Court-appointed committee to weigh in on the fate of nine elephants from Assam. Justice Devashis Baruah issued the directive to the High-Powered Committee, led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Verma. This panel will now examine the ownership, transfer, and rehabilitation of these animals. The case centers on Joymala, also known as Jeymalyatha, and eight other elephants allegedly held illegally at Tamil Nadu temples.
Assam filed the petition in September 2022 after reports surfaced of persistent cruelty. Joymala was leased to the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple in 2011 for three years. She never returned. PETA India noted that the lease periods for the other eight elephants have also expired. The court ordered Tamil Nadu officials to perform monthly inspections. They must seize any elephant lacking proper food or medical care while the committee works toward a final decision.
The court criticized the temple for treating the animal like a piece of furniture rather than a living being. PETA India reports that in 2022, inspectors caught a mahout at the Krishnan Kovil temple using pliers to twist Joymala's skin. By March 2025, over 50 veterinarians signed an opinion urging her immediate rescue. PETA India has offered a mechanical elephant to the Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple if they release her. They argue that mechanical options work well.
Khushboo Gupta, PETA India Vice President of Policy, stated, "The use of live elephants at temples when mechanical alternatives have been widely accepted is unnecessary, dangerous, and outdated." PETA India has already helped donate 30 such mechanical units across India. They continue to push for a sanctuary where Joymala can live free from chains and weapons.
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