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A case has been filed against the officials of Kerala’s Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple management committee for allegedly violating high court orders linked to the procession of elephants.
The case was filed by the Kerala Forest Department against the Devaswom officer and other temple authorities after officials noticed a flouting of Kerala High Court directions in its inspection.
The forest department officials found that the distance between the elephants was not three meters and that even the eight-meter distance between people and the elephant was not maintained, as mandated by the High Court.
The forest department officials also found that a fire torch was carried near the elephants and that the five-meter distance was not maintained in this regard either during a temple procession.
The case was registered by the Forest Department’s Social Forestry division, which has been tasked with maintaining the elephants.
The FIR came a day before the hearing on a petition filed by the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple management committee before the Kerala High Court for exemption from rules during the procession of elephants as part of the festival. The temple authorities said that the elephants were made to stand closer after it started raining.
The Kerala High Court had recently dismissed an application filed by the Cochin Devaswom board that sought modification of norms requiring a three-meter distance between two elephants. The court had observed that parading elephants for temple festivals is not an essential religious practice.
