Collector-headed panel to take call on ban on Celebrity jumbo from Thrissur Pooram

Thiruvananthapuram, May 10: The Kerala High Court on Friday refused to interfere in the ban on 54-year-old elephant Thechikottukavu Ramachandran from Pooram festival in Thrissur.

"It is for the collector-headed panel to take a decision on this," the court observed.

The court made the observations while considering a petition filed against the ban imposed by Thrissur Pooram, Collector T.V. Anupama.

"The ban on captive elephants in musth from the pooram site is a usual practice. I am not in a position to talk on the ongoing ban on Thechikkotukavu as the High Court will be taking up the matter on Friday (on the plea filed by Thechikkotukavu Devaswom seeking to lift the ban on elephant)," Anupama had said.

The 54-year-old tusker which has enough fan clubs and die-hard admirers in the state, was taken out of temple duty after it ran amok on February 8. It is partially blind after his mahout struck on his left eye with an iron-hooked stick decades ago. It has killed as many as 13 people so far and three elephants.

Meanwhile, the Guruvayur Devaswom had earlier expressed willingness to send elephants for Thrissur Pooram.

The decision has however triggered widespread protests, with Kerala Elephant Owners' Federation, backed by right wing outfits, up in arms against the government.

Also Read | Thrissur Pooram stares at crisis after Govt bans Kerala's most-loved elephant

Meanwhile, the Thrissur district administration is determined to not feature the elephant in Thrissur Pooram.

Kerala's chief wildlife warden had submitted a report to government stating that allowing the elephant at the festival will be dangerous.