Supreme Court refuses to interfere in ‘Arikomban’ translocation, dismisses Kerala appeal

“You have experts. Your experts have made a recommendation. The state government can’t now also sit and say it will do something over and above it,” the bench, comprising Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, said, adding that “we will not interfere”.

The high court on April 5 directed that the animal be captured, radio-collared and translocated to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. This followed the “unanimous” recommendation of the expert committee set up by it. This led to protests by local residents in the Parambikulam area. Though a review petition was filed against the April 5 order, the high court dismissed it.

In the Supreme Court, the state said it wanted to capture the animal, study it and then leave it, but the bench did not agree.

In March, the high court stayed the state government’s order to tranquilise and capture ‘Arikomban’, which has been terrorising the high ranges of the Idukki district by killing people and raiding shops for grains for at least the last five years. The court later warned the state of strict action if it found that the area in the Idukki district where the tusker was roaming had been an elephant habitat before tribal people were resettled there.