During the hearing of a case, the Supreme Court said that the welfare of voiceless animals is most important. Also, the court has directed the Kerala government to take the custody of the elephant named 'Raman' and keep it in a proper rehabilitation center. Raman is the tallest elephant in the state, and his height is 10.53 feet.
The bench of Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma also expressed displeasure that Raman was being exploited commercially and he was included in religious processions and rituals. Expressing deep displeasure, the bench said, “It is indeed very unfortunate that the elephant in question, which is the tallest elephant in the State of Kerala, was used commercially, whereas an order to stop such use had already been given and all this happened despite an undertaking given before this Court.”
The bench further said, "If we ignore such disregard, we will fail to fulfill our duty towards voiceless animals. We cannot always remain mute spectators, especially in the case of voiceless animals, whose welfare is of utmost importance."
Making it clear that the court's order granting custody of Raman is a temporary measure and the final order on it will be given later, the bench said, "The Government of Kerala may take temporary care of the elephant at its own expense. In such a situation, it may issue appropriate administrative orders in accordance with the statutory safeguards provided under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972."
This order came on a contempt petition filed by Jayakrishna Menon. Menon alleged that Raman was an elephant of 'Mata Amritanandamayi Math' and he was handed over to Krishnankutty for some time for care.
Krishnankutty – who had retained custody of the elephant on the basis of a disputed will – was found guilty of contempt of court for willful breach of the undertaking given and fined Rs 2,000. Krishnankutty had claimed that Raman was legally handed over to him through a gift deed and he has been continuously taking care of the elephant for the last 10-12 years. However, the court acquitted the state officials of contempt charges as they had tried to get the elephant medically examined.
The tallest elephant, Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, is about 60 years old and is also called Raman in Kerala. This elephant is very popular in Kerala.
