The Thrissur District Collector and other officials concerned can decide on the parading of the elephant Thechikkottukav Ramachandran in the Thrissur Pooram, the Kerala High Court has observed.
The court passed the order while dismissing a writ petition seeking to issue instructions to the Collector and others not to cause any hindrance/ obstruction to the parading of the elephant at the temple festival.
Passing the order, Justice Anu Sivaraman said the court was of the “opinion that the issue relating to the parading of elephants and the health condition of the elephants are the matters for the respondents to take a decision.”
Ramachandran is the second valued elephant in the annual Kerala elephant procession. It has killed a record 11 people and 3 elephants in its lifetime and is branded as the most dangerous captive elephant in the State.
The petitioner had listed the Thrissur District Collector, City Police Commissioner, Thrissur, Assistant Conservator of Forest (Social Forestry), and members on the district-level festival committee as respondents.