Kerala: One Arrested In Jumbo Killing Case

Kerala elephant death: One person was taken into custody over the killing of a pregnant elephant in Palakkad of Kerala, media reports stated on Friday. The elephant died when it consumed an explosive-laden pineapple and consequently suffered for a long time.

Forest officials are probing the incident and more arrests are likely to take place soon. Forest and police officials believe that more than one individual was involved in the killing of the pregnant elephant.

The elephant's brutal killing evoked widespread outrage across the board and on social media, as well. The Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Prakash Javadekar observed that the Centre took the matter very seriously and would probe the killing. He added that such killing of elephants ran against the spirit of Indian culture.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted a high-level committee to probe the killing of the pregnant elephant.

Union Minister for textiles Smriti Irani hit out at the local administration in Kerala. She wondered why officials in the state allowed such incidents to happen.

BJP MP Maneka Gandhi also criticised the Kerala government and told a prominent television channel on Thursday that killing of elephants took place regularly in the southern state.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan promised stern action against those involved in the killing of the pregnant elephant. He regretted the fact that politics appeared to colour and communalise the incident. Pinarayi Vijayan condemned an attempt by some people to tarnish the image of Kerala.