Villagers Pelt Stones During Elephant’s Farewell In Kolhapur
The elephant was living at the Swastishree Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Mutt since 1992, and the locals considered it sacred.
Published : July 29, 2025 at 6:23 PM IST
Kolhapur: The people of the Nandini village in Maharashtra's Kolhapur pelted stones at police vehicles during the farewell procession of an elephant named Mahadevi, also known as Madhuri, on late Monday night, official sources said. The incident took place while the elephant was being moved to the Vantara Elephant Centre in Gujarat, after a Supreme Court order.
The elephant was living at the Swastishree Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Mutt since 1992, and the locals considered it sacred. Thousands gathered to bid farewell to the elephant. Protesters blocked the road and threw stones, damaging six police vehicles. At the same time, the police conducted a lathi charge to control the situation.
Authorities have deployed a large police force in the area to maintain order. The elephant was eventually taken away in an animal ambulance by a team from Gujarat.
According to official sources, the animal welfare organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) raised concerns over the elephant's care. Following the concerns, the decision to relocate the elephant was made.
A committee was later formed to investigate, and it recommended in 2023 that the elephant be moved. The monastery challenged the decision in the High Court and later in the Supreme Court, but the verdict upheld the recommendation to shift the elephant to Gujarat for better care. The villagers and the monastery appealed multiple times; however, the court’s order was carried out.
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