Assam: Elephant's Mysterious Death in Sonitpur Sparks Allegations of Negligence and Foul Play

SONITPUR: A controversy has emerged in Sonitpur, Assam after the death of a female elephant under mysterious circumstances. Serious allegations and claims of foul play have been made against forest officials by the owner of the elephant, Govinda Bahadur Chetri. He alleged that the authorities did not provide adequate food and medical treatment to the ailing animal.

Joymala, who was captured in 2019 after causing crop damage in the Nameri forest area, was being kept by the forest department instead of rehabilitating her. She was allegedly being employed to handle wild elephant disturbance in the area. Last week, Joymala was found to have a liver disease, and the forest department declared her death on December 17 due to illness.

However, Chetri has strongly opposed this explanation, holding that the death of the elephant is a direct result of neglect and maltreatment by the forest officials. The Chetri family demanded immediate legal action against the officials in charge of the elephant. They sought redress to Assam Forest Minister and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, pleading for an intervention in bringing the culprits to justice.

The death of the Joymala elephant has aroused anger among all sections. They are demanding transparency in this regard from the department for its handling of this wild animal. It has once again brought into focus issues like the treatment of captive elephants all over the state.

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