HC seeks view of government, Devaswoms

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the state government, the Travancore and Cochin  Devaswom boards and the Guruvayur Devaswom to submit their views on the need to control the use of elephants for temple purposes. A Division Bench comprising Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued the directive in the context of an incident in which a caparisoned elephant went berserk at the Koodalmanikyam temple in Irinjalakuda. A child had died in the stampede that followed.The court also directed the state to inform as to what action is being taken by the Animal Welfare Department, Forest Department and other departments to ensure that appropriate protection is provided to the elephants during religious festivals.The court also directed the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom to give a factual report on the events that led to the incident.