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The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden (PCCF-cum-CWC) has preferred an entreaty earlier a Division Bench of the Madras High Court against a azygous judge’s bid directing the wood section to instrumentality 3 pistillate elephants to the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.
The writ entreaty has been listed for admittance earlier the archetypal Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan connected Friday (January 23, 2026). It had been filed challenging the bid passed by Justice V. Lakshminarayanan connected January 7, 2026.
Disposing of a writ petition moved by the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, done its counsel V.R. Shanmuganathan, the azygous justice had said that the petitioner was a Hindu spiritual mutt, which traces its spiritual lineage to Saint Adi Shankara and had been successful beingness for centuries.
In fulfilment of its spiritual mission, arsenic ordered to beryllium carried retired by its preceptor, the petitioner mutt had been administering temples, Veda Patasalas (schools imparting spiritual education), Sanskrit teaching centres and different Hindu spiritual institutions.
In furtherance of its spiritual activities, the mutt had acquired 3 elephants named Sandhya (50), Indu (30) and Jayanti (14) and obtained ownership certificates excessively from the PCCF-cum-CWC successful accordance with the rules framed nether the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
After the acquisition, the mutt had begun utilizing the elephants for rituals, festivals, ‘Vishwaroopa’ darshan and different connected activities. He besides recorded the mutt’s assertion that elephants clasp a spiritual and ritual value successful Hinduism and they symbolise the divine attributes of Lord Vinayaka.
In 2015, the elephants’ mahout died and hence the mutt obtained wood department’s support to transport the animals to a backstage widlife rescue and rehabilitation centre. Thereafter, connected tribunal orders, they were transferred to the wood department’s elephant attraction installation astatine M.R. Palayam successful Tiruchi.
Since 2022, the mutt had been making repeated representations to the wood section to instrumentality the elephants since it had created a 2.94-acre installation for them astatine Konerikuppam colony successful Kancheepuram territory and had besides decided to name caller mahouts to instrumentality attraction of them.
When the representations went unheard, the mutt chose to record the writ petition successful 2025. Oppsoing the plea, the wood section told the tribunal that a authorities veterinarian had opined that the translocation of the 3 elephants from the M.R. Palayam campy to a temple situation whitethorn not beryllium advisable.
The authorities veterinarian had said that each the 3 elephants were being treated astatine the campy for antithetic ailments and therefore, their relocation for ritual purposes specified arsenic Gaja puja whitethorn pb to aesculapian relapse and behavioural accent owed to crow exposure, hard flooring, tethering and smoke.
On the different hand, Mr. Shanmuganathan produced a missive from A. Kandasamy, Assistant Veterinary Surgeon astatine the Ayyampettai veterinary dispensary successful Kancheepuram territory agreeing to supply aesculapian attraction to the 3 elephants if they were translocated to the mutt’s elephant attraction installation astatine Konerikuppam.
The counsel besides gave an undertaking to the tribunal that the elephants would not beryllium taken to the temple for rituals until they were declared acceptable to question extracurricular the Konerikuppam facility. He besides stated that the Gaja puja excessively would beryllium performed astatine Konerikuppam itself.
After signaling his submissions, the justice had directed the wood section to manus implicit the elephants to the mutt on information that the animals should not beryllium moved retired of Konerikuppam installation until they go steadfast capable to measurement out. He had besides granted liberty to the mutt to execute Gaja puja astatine Konerikuppam.
