High Powered Committee had ordered the transfer of 21 elephants from Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh to the Elephant camp at Moti Khavdi, Jamnagar, Gujarat
The issue of elephants transported through Assam in a convoy of animal ambulances bearing Gujarat number plates had raised questions regarding where the elephants were from. GPlus has now found that the elephants were from Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh and not from Assam as suspected in some quarters.
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On January 14, Gujarat-registered animal ambulances were spotted heading towards Kaziranga on NH 37.
GPlus tried contacting the Kaziranga officials and Assam forest department to know if the animal ambulances were procured by Assam from Gujarat.
Field Director of Kaziranga National Park Sonali Ghosh talking to GPlus said that no such ambulances were procured by Kaziranga and she was not even aware of these.
On January 20, social media reports suggested a number elephants were being transported through Guwahati in a convoy and taken to Gujarat from Assam.
The Assam chief minister’s office immediately rubbished the allegations and tweeted that reports about elephants being taken from Assam were fake.
Responding to the videos and news going viral, Assam Chief Minister’s office tweeted, “It is hereby clarified that no elephants have been transported from Assam in the recent past. Certain news items and social media posts published linking Assam to such activities are completely unwarranted and false.”
As the police were providing protection to the convoy, a source in Assam police informed that the elephants were taken to Gujarat from Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.
The district commissioner of Namsai, CR Khampa, talking to GPlus said that the district administration provided protection to the convoy in Namsai, and other state police would also do the same. He said that the convoy had proper permission from the Arunachal Pradesh forest department.
A source in Arunachal Pradesh forest department said that the department received orders for providing 21 elephants from the high-power committee (HPC) appointed by the Supreme Court.
The HPC has also written to all state police along the route to provide security accordingly.
The HPC chairperson through an email to the state police heads wrote, “In discharge of the functions and duties of the High Powered Committee a permission dated 10 January 2025 has been granted to Vantara "Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust" (said Trust) for transferring 21 Elephants from District : Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh to the Elephant camp at Moti Khavdi, District : Jamnagar, Gujarat.”
“The convoy of the said Trust will start the journey with the 21 Elephants from Arunachal Pradesh between 18th January to 20th January 2025 and complete the same within 7-8 days and the convoy will pass through your esteem States. The Trust has expressed an apprehension with the High Powered Committee that there may be untoward stopping of the convoy or untoward incidents in the process of transfer,” said the HPC in the email.
The HPC has sent the email to the police chiefs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
