Thodupuzha: A financial scam on the pretext of helping wild elephant Arikomban is now under the scanner of the Special Branch of the Kerala Police. An online ‘animal lovers group’ has allegedly collected lakhs of rupees through a campaign driven on WhatsApp.
Additional Director General of Police M R Ajit Kumar is leading the investigation.
Last month Arikomban was translocated to the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary from Chinnakanal in Kerala's Idukki district. Its capture and shifting to a new abode were conducted under the glare of the media and this won the tusker legions of fans in Kerala and outside. Over a hundred online groups and social media pages have been created in the name of Arikomban.
The money was allegedly collected from the WhatsApp group members in the guise of initiating legal proceedings to bring back the jumbo to Chinnakanal, its original habitat, and also to buy it rice – its favourite food. The probe follows a complaint in this regard lodged by Sreejith Perumana, a social activist and a lawyer.
As per the complaint, the money was collected through a WhatsApp group ‘Ennum Arikobanoppam’ (Always with Arikomban), which was created by a few Ernakulam natives on April 30. Various animal lovers and animal rights activists were made to join the group.
The alleged fraud was brought to light by a few members of the group, including a soldier, who had been among the group’s admin panel. As per the complaint, one of the group members, who introduced herself as the sister of a film actor, volunteered to collect the amount through the account of her NRI husband to dodge the investigation. This way, around Rs 8 lakh, was collected from the group members, who also included several NRIs.
Meanwhile, the group admin of ‘Ennum Arikombanoppam’ has lodged a complaint with the Ernakulam South police station, alleging attempts to defame the group by levelling false allegations.
