Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court ordered a Supreme Court-appointed committee to review the rehabilitation of nine Assam elephants currently held in Tamil Nadu temples. Justice Devashis Baruah issued the directive after the Assam government filed a petition in September 2022. This legal move targets the return of Joymala, also known as Jeymalyatha. She arrived at the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple on a three-year lease in 2011. She never left.
Video footage surfaced showing mahouts beating the animal. PETA India joined the case, pushing for sanctuary life without chains. The committee, led by retired Justice Deepak Verma, must now handle Joymala and eight others whose transfer contracts expired. The court ordered Tamil Nadu officials to conduct monthly inspections. They must seize any animal lacking proper food or medical care while the committee works.
The court signaled that the temple treated the elephant like a piece of furniture rather than a living being. During a 2022 inspection at the Krishnan Kovil temple, investigators watched a mahout use pliers to twist Joymala’s skin. Over 50 veterinarians backed her rescue in March 2025. PETA India warned that her distress makes her a danger to the public. Captive elephants have been violent lately. Eight attacks involving captive elephants occurred already in 2026. In 2025, Kerala saw 20 captive elephants kill six people.
PETA India pushed for mechanical alternatives to replace live animals. The group offered a mechanical elephant to the Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple to secure Joymala’s release. Currently, 45 mechanical elephants operate across the country. Khushboo Gupta, PETA India Vice President of Policy, lauded the court order. “The use of live elephants at temples when mechanical alternatives have been widely accepted is unnecessary, dangerous, and outdated,” Gupta said. The committee will allow PETA India to present their case before making a final decision.
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