Ahmedabad city police have launched an inquiry into a video which has gone viral on social media in which a mahout is purportedly seen beating an elephant, reportedly at Hathikhana opposite Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad. The police have started an inquiry while acting on an application by an animal rights activist.
In the video, a mahout is purportedly seen beating an elephant with a stick. The video went viral on social media a day after the Rath Yatra procession was carried out in Ahmedabad in which some elephants, who were part of the ceremonial procession, ran amok, sparking panic.
Gaikwad Haveli Police Station inspector Chirag Gosai said an inquiry has been launched into the video in which a mahout is seen beating an elephant.
Gosai said that police have registered statements of around 17 persons while also checking CCTV footage. The 17 elephants, which were part of the Rath Yatra procession, have also been medically examined.
He said, “It is certain that the video is that of Hathikhana in front of Jagannath temple. But it could have been shot earlier. No grass is visible in the video whereas, currently, due to rain, grass can be seen there. The video is authentic, but there is no information about the elephant and mahout in it.”
Gosai said the elephant seen in the video was not part of the Rath Yatra procession. “The mahout seen in the video was also not part of the Rath Yatra. This must be an old video,” Gosai added.
Gosai said that Hathikhana is a section of Jagannath temple, which is open to all to keep their elephant for a few days. The temple administration does not maintain any register of it as well, he added. Gosai said that many times, people coming with elephants and moving around the city seeking alms keep their elephants at Hathikhana for a few days.
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Gosai said once the police get definite information about the elephant and mahout in the video, action, like registering an offence under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, will be taken.
