Overview
- The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Kerala government to take temporary custody of Raman and house him in an appropriate rescue or rehabilitation centre while the ownership dispute is finally decided.
- The bench found Raman had been taken out for ceremonial processions and used commercially in violation of an earlier undertaking and held custodian Krishnankutty guilty of contempt, fining him Rs 2,000.
- The court made clear the transfer is temporary and said Kerala may care for Raman at its own expense under the statutory safeguards of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The custody order follows a long legal fight over ownership between Jayakrishnan Menon, who says the elephant belongs to the Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt, and Krishnankutty, with the case tracing back to a trial court interim custody order on December 8, 2023 and subsequent appeals.
- A planned close veterinary inspection was delayed because Raman was in musth and aggressive, the court discharged state officials from contempt for that delay, and the order hands immediate care decisions to the government while final ownership remains unresolved.