Upalokayukta takes suo motu cognisance of Dubare elephant attack case, seeks report from Forest officials

Madikeri: Karnataka Upalokayukta Justice K N Phaneendra has taken suo motu cognisance of the recent incident at Dubare, in which a woman tourist from Tamil Nadu and a captive elephant lost their lives after being caught in a fight between two elephants. He issued notices directing Somwarpet Sub-Division Assistant Conservator of Forests A A Gopal and Kushalnagar Range Forest Officer Rakshith to appear personally for a hearing scheduled on June 24.

The officials have also been instructed to submit, within four weeks of receiving the notice, a detailed report on the corrective measures initiated to address all lapses related to the incident.

In his observations, Justice Phaneendra stated that the deaths of both the woman and the captive elephant pointed to negligence and failure on the part of the authorities.

Media reports had highlighted the absence of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) at the captive elephant camp and alleged that visitors were allowed to go dangerously close to the elephants without adequate safety measures in place. As a result, the woman reportedly lost her life in the elephant attack.

“If the reports are true, it would amount to a violation of constitutional rights,” the Upalokayukta observed.