Idukki: An expert committee appointed by the Kerala High Court reached Chinnakanal on Monday to decide on the course of action for 'Mission Arikomban'.
The High Court had on Wednesday constituted a five-member expert committee to take a decision on what action should be taken with regard to rogue wild tusker Arikomban.
The committee includes Kottayam High Range Circle CCF RS Arun, Project Tiger CCF H Pramod, Wildife Trust of India President and Chief Veterinarian Dr NVK Ashraf, and amicus curiae Adv Ramesh Babu. They will inspect Chinnakanal, 301 Colony, Sinkukandam, and other places.
The panel has to communicate its decision to the court by April 5, till when capture of the elephant has been prohibited. The panel had convened a meeting online ahead of the site visit.
The court only permitted tranquilising and radio collaring of the tusker if it forayed into inhabited areas.
The forest department had earlier decided to capture the wild tusker and shift it to Kodanad Elephant Training Centre.
The court's order had come on a PIL moved by two animal rights groups -- People for Animals (PFA), Trivandum Chapter and the Walking Eye Foundation for Animal Advocacy. The petitioner organisations have claimed in their plea that the order to tranquilise and capture the tusker was "illegal and unscientific". The petitioners' have urged the court to issue an order directing the state government and its forest department to translocate and rehabilitate Arikomban to an alternative deep forest.
Arikomban is so named as it raids ration shops and houses for rice.
After news of the verdict spread, local residents of Chinnakanal and nearby places in Idukki district held protests against the court's decision.
