2 mahouts arrested after 6-month-old slips from hand near elephant’s feet in Alappuzha
The accused have been identified as Jithin Raj and Abhilash.
The accused have been identified as Jithin Raj and Abhilash.
The accused have been identified as Jithin Raj and Abhilash.
Alappuzha: The Haripad police on Wednesday arrested two mahouts involved in the incident where a six-month-old baby slipped and fell near an elephant's feet during a superstitious ritual at Haripad in Alappuzha.
Police have registered cases against maion mhout Jithin Rajan and his assistant Abhilash under sections 291 (negligent conduct with respect to an animal), Section 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others), section 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 75 (cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Abhilash is the father of the six-month-old infant. On January 4, he brought the child to the Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple as part of the child's 'choroonu', a ceremony in which rice is fed to the baby for the first time. After that, Abhilash took the baby near the elephant Haripad Skandan.
It's a common practice to pass children under a standing jumbo to ward off fear. Holding the baby Jithin Raj walked underneath Skandan several times before handing the child over to Abhilah, who took the baby near to the elephant's trunk. During this, the kid slipped from Abhilash's hands and fell near the elephant's feet.
Skandan, fortunately, did not react, which saved the child. The elephant had previously turned violent, displaying signs of musth, killing one mahout and injuring another. Following that incident, authorities had placed the elephant in chains, and veterinary officials have not yet issued a fitness certificate.
The Deputy Devaswom Commissioner, who is in charge of the temple elephants, intervened and directed that the mahouts be replaced immediately.