Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: An elephant named Mohan, originally from Assam's Lakhimpur district, remains under the custody of the Rajasthan Forest Department following a failed attempt to relocate the animal using fraudulent paperwork. The elephant was transported to Jaipur in March without the necessary approvals from wildlife authorities in either state.
Assam officials report that the transfer relied on forged permits and a falsified signature from Assam Chief Wildlife Warden Vinay Gupta. The move also lacked a required No Objection Certificate from the Rajasthan Chief Wildlife Warden. After being alerted to the irregularities, the Rajasthan authorities seized the animal and arrested one individual.
Regarding the illicit transport, Vinay Gupta stated, “The elephant was illegally transported from Lakhimpur to Jaipur using forged documents, including a transit pass and official orders. My signature was also forged. I have lodged an FIR at Dispur Police Station in connection with the matter.”
The case is currently being heard by the Rajasthan High Court, following initial filings at Chief Judicial Magistrate courts in Lakhimpur and Jaipur. While the Assam Forest Department has deployed an inquiry officer to monitor the situation, the animal cannot be returned until the legal process concludes. Meanwhile, the Centre for Research on Animal Rights has called for a wider investigation, citing potential evidence of a trafficking network moving captive elephants from Assam to other parts of India.
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