A temple in a South Delhi flat is set to get an elephant, all the way from Assam

The projected transportation of the elephant to a residential neighbourhood comes six years aft a Delhi High Court bid led to the rescue of Delhi’s past captive elephants. Housing an elephant successful Sainik Farm, a residential neighbourhood with a chronic h2o shortage, sets the timepiece back

on that order, accidental carnal rights activists.

This April, accidental sources successful the Assam wood department, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) connected elephant rehabilitation forwarded to the bureau of the authorities Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) an exertion by Siba Nath Doley, proprietor of a pistillate elephant named Ranjita successful Jorhat, who wanted to transportation the carnal to the Delhi temple. In 2023, the Supreme Court had enactment the HPC, headed by retired Justice Deepak Verma, successful complaint of the payment and rehabilitation of each seized oregon rescued elephants crossed India.

In July, the Assam CWLW’s bureau sought the sentiment of its counterpart successful Delhi connected the projected transfer. Following a prod by the HPC to “expedite the matter”, the divisional wood serviceman (DFO) of southbound Delhi inspected the projected lodging facilities successful Sainik Farm wherever “everything was recovered to beryllium successful order”.

On the presumption of the proposal, Assam CWLW Sandeep Kumar said, “The Delhi wood section has not objected to the projected transfer. However, the Assam authorities is inactive examining the matter. We are besides looking into immoderate representations we received from civilian nine groups. A last determination is awaited.”

Asked if Sainik Farm is acceptable to location an elephant, Delhi CWLW Shyam Sundar Kandpal said that helium “took complaint lone recently” — successful the past week of September — and was not apprised of the matter.

DFO (South Delhi) Vipul Pandey declined to comment.

Shiv Kumar Rai alias Guruji, who runs the plush, air-conditioned Baglamukhi temple successful Delhi’s Greater Kailash Part II, did not respond to emails asking connected what presumption the elephant successful question would beryllium acquired from its proprietor successful Jorhat and the rationale for transferring the carnal to a residential neighbourhood successful southbound Delhi.

The Baglamukhi temple, on with the Shree Yogini Peetham Trust, was acceptable up by Rai with 1 Chandra Mani Mishra astatine the Greater Kailash address. During February-March 2018, Rai and Mishra joined Maheish Girri, past BJP MP from East Delhi, to organise a bid of events culminating successful the weeklong Rashtra Raksha Mahayagya.

Attended by implicit a twelve members of the Union and Delhi Cabinets, including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Manish Sisodia, the mega lawsuit had implicit a 1000 priests praying to Goddess Baglamukhi for the “protection of the nation” and the “defeat of enemies”, some “external and internal”.

On the phone, Chandra Mani Mishra claimed that helium and Rai parted ways by the extremity of 2018. “I don’t cognize if my sanction is inactive determination (in the Shree Yogini Peetham Trust) connected insubstantial but we went antithetic ways soon aft the 2018 events. I americium not alert of immoderate of their activities since then,” helium said.

When The Indian Express visited the temple-apartment successful Greater Kailash, a young priest-cum-functionary said Rai was meditating. “Guruji meets devotees by appointment. But this is simply a backstage substance and Guruji would not privation to sermon it. All arrangements are successful spot for the elephant. You tin speech to Guruji’s PA,” helium said.

Ratan Kumar Dubey, “Guruji’s PA” who holds 33% stakes successful Maa Baglamukhi Mandir Divine Products Pvt Ltd, said helium could not stock immoderate information. Rai (34%) and his member Shubham (33%) are the different shareholders since the institution was established astatine the Greater Kailash code successful 2019.

At Sainik Farm, the unit denied entree to the high-walled compound that houses aggregate carnal sheds. A mates of neighbours claimed they knew that “Guruji’s ashram” would soon get an elephant.

“Guruji is rather young and visits often. He mentioned an elephant. He already has horses successful his stable. Camels, too,” said a existent property trader successful the neighbourhood.

Following a High Court bid successful 2018, six of the 7 captive elephants successful Delhi were rescued, the past successful 2019. The seventh elephant, acquired by the Dabur Group successful the 1970s, was allowed to enactment connected astatine a farmhouse successful Dera Mandi.

“Delhi is not a spot for elephants. After the HC helped rescue Delhi’s past captive elephants that were successful carnal and intelligence distress, we are turning the timepiece backmost by entertaining specified a proposal. This besides goes against the HPC’s mandate which is the wide payment of captive elephants,” said Alok Hisarwala Gupta, laminitis of the Centre for Research connected Animal Rights.