Madras High Court Takes Action After Elephant Subbulakshmi’s Tragic Death in Tamil Nadu
The Madras High Court’s Madurai bench has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government following a petition by Hariharan from Madurai. The petition seeks better protection for captive elephants in the state after the death of Subbulakshmi, a 54-year-old elephant at Kunrakudi Shanmuganathar Malai Temple.
Subbulakshmi died from burns caused by a fire in her shelter, allegedly due to negligence. The petitioner claims that the temple authorities did not follow guidelines for elephant care, leading to the tragic incident. Subbulakshmi was donated to the temple by a devotee in 1971 and was protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The plea urges the court to direct authorities to adhere to the Tamil Nadu Captive Elephants (Management and Care) Rules, 2011, to prevent such incidents in the future. The case was heard by Justices Subramanian and Sundar Mohan.
On September 13, Subbulakshmi died after sustaining burns from a fire that broke out near her shelter’s thatched roof. Fire and rescue services managed to extinguish the flames, but the elephant suffered serious injuries. People gathered at the temple to pay their respects to Subbulakshmi after her death.
Doubts Revealed
Madras High Court -: The Madras High Court is a big building where judges work to make sure everyone follows the law in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Madurai bench -: The Madurai bench is a part of the Madras High Court that is located in the city of Madurai. It handles legal cases from that region.
petition -: A petition is a request made to the court asking for something to be done. In this case, Hariharan is asking for better protection for elephants.
captive elephants -: Captive elephants are elephants that live in places like temples or zoos, not in the wild. They are taken care of by people.
Kunrakudi Shanmuganathar Malai Temple -: This is a temple in Tamil Nadu where the elephant Subbulakshmi lived. Temples in India sometimes have elephants as part of their traditions.
negligence -: Negligence means not taking proper care of something. In this case, it means not taking good care of the elephant, which led to her getting hurt.
Tamil Nadu Captive Elephants (Management and Care) Rules, 2011 -: These are special rules made in 2011 to make sure that elephants living in places like temples are taken care of properly.
