Supreme Court orders organizers of festival coordination committee to ensure no cruelty is meted out to elephants engaged in festival activities

Hearing a petition filed by Wildlife Rescue And Rehabilitation Centre, the Supreme Court today ordered that no cruelty should me meted out to elephants that are engaged in festival activities.

The Bench consisting of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C Pant said, “all the organizers, owners of the elephants and the festival coordination committee are directed to see that any elephant that is engaged in the performance of any festival activities or any activity relating to any festivity is

not treated or meted with cruelty. If it is established before this Court that an elephant has been meted with cruelty, the organizers, the Committee members and anyone involved with it shall be impleaded in this case and be proceeded for contempt.”

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra had appeared for the applicant and had submitted to the Apex Court that “there is a statutory prohibition for engaging elephants for performance in any festival or any activity relating to any festivity.”

The the Animal Welfare Board supported the stand whereas the Festival Coordination Committee, submitted that there is no legal prohibition.

Thereafter, the Supreme Court gave 4 weeks time to Union of India to file responses. The matter has now been listed for July 14, until which today's order will be in operation.

Read the order here.