Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Five captive elephants transported nearly 3,000 kilometres from Assam to Tamil Nadu temples in September 2026 are under intense investigation. The animals, named Durga, Hiralal, Shiva, Rupsing, and Bijuli, moved through the Seva Trust, an organization run by Anuradha Subramanian, the wife of Vaidyanathan Krishnamoorthy. While the Assam Forest Department cleared the travel, officials now face questions regarding the legitimacy of these donations.
Investigations uncovered significant discrepancies. Bijuli, a five-year-old elephant assigned to a Kancheepuram institution, lists a Hiteswar Moran as her owner in Tinsukia. Local residents in the village of Torani, however, claim no such person exists. Records for other elephants also contain red flags. Rupsing’s age fluctuated by weeks across official forms, and reports suggest he may have been purchased rather than gifted.
Genetic testing adds further confusion. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) maintains a database of captive elephants, yet its reports on these five animals often cite only generic “related” status rather than proving maternity. The reports lack specific microsatellite markers or probability figures. Arun Prasanna G, founder of People for Cattle in India, challenged the validity of this evidence. “Third, parentage is not established. For Durga, Shiva and Hiralal, the WII says only that each is ‘related’ to another elephant, which could mean a sibling, aunt or grandmother,” Prasanna stated.
The lack of rigorous verification creates a potential loophole for trafficking. Federal law prohibits the commercial sale of captive elephants, allowing only legitimate gifts or inheritances. With contradictory documents circulating between the WII, the Ministry of Environment, and the Assam Forest Department, activists are demanding transparency. Prasanna insists the documentation currently fails to prove these transfers are lawful. “We are asking the authorities for the records that would settle this: how the relationships were determined, what the mothers’ origin papers show, and whether any verification was done after the elephants reached Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Authorities have yet to provide clear proof of these elephants' origins or original ownership chains. Until they do, the movement of these animals remains shrouded in suspicion.
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