The Gauhati High Court has directed a Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee to consider the rehabilitation of nine elephants from Assam that are allegedly kept illegally in Tamil Nadu. The court also ordered the Tamil Nadu government to conduct monthly inspections of the facilities where the elephants are housed and, pending the committee's final decision, to seize and rehabilitate any elephants found lacking adequate nutrition, medical care, or other essential welfare facilities.
The order, issued by Justice Devashis Baruah on August 18 and released on Monday, stems from a September 2022 petition by the Assam government seeking the release of an elephant named Joymala, also known as Jeymalyatha, after videos of her being beaten went viral. Joymala was leased out by Assam for three years in 2011 and remains in the custody of the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple in Tamil Nadu.
Background and Petitioners
The case has drawn involvement from animal welfare organizations. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) was impleaded as a respondent and has urged that Joymala be rehabilitated at a sanctuary where she can live free of chains and in the company of other elephants. PETA India also asked the High Court to refer the case to the High-Powered Committee, headed by retired Justice Deepak Verma, to adjudicate issues such as ownership, transfer, and rehabilitation of captive elephants. The organization sought similar relief for eight other elephants from Assam whose temporary transfer periods to Tamil Nadu had expired.
People For Cattle in India (PFCI), another petitioner in the case, approached the Gauhati High Court in February 2025 over Joymala's captivity, welfare, and alleged history of cruelty. Arun Prasanna, founder of PFCI, said the court's direction offered renewed hope for Joymala. "This is an important moment in our long fight for Joymala. The court's latest direction gives us renewed hope that the question of her future will finally be examined from the perspective of her welfare and dignity," he said. Prasanna added that PFCI hoped the committee would take a compassionate, scientific, and welfare-centric approach and recommend rehabilitation in a suitable elephant sanctuary.
Court's Observations and Next Steps
The High Court noted that the case had its genesis in allegations of Joymala's torture at the Tamil Nadu temple, which PETA India had brought to light. Asking the committee to allow PETA India to present its point of view, the court observed that the temple's stand reduced Joymala to a "movable object" and did not appear to be genuinely in the interest of the elephant. According to PFCI, the court also observed that the temple's position, despite describing Joymala as revered and worshipped, appeared to treat her as a "movable object" rather than placing her welfare at the centre.
The court has not directly ordered Joymala's rehabilitation; instead, the question has been referred to the High-Powered Committee, which will consider issues relating to ownership, transfer, and rehabilitation of the elephants.
Khushboo Gupta, vice president of policy at PETA India, said, "The use of live elephants at temples when mechanical alternatives have been widely accepted is unnecessary, dangerous, and outdated. We hope that the HPC will expeditiously order the rehabilitation of all nine elephants to sanctuaries where they can live free of chains and weapons."
A 2022 inspection at the temple where Joymala is kept revealed that cruelty to the elephant was so regular that her mahout used pliers to painfully twist her skin to control her, even in front of PETA India. In March 2025, after reviewing videos and other documentation about Joymala's plight, more than 50 veterinarians from different parts of the country signed a petition for her rescue, which PETA India sent to relevant authorities in Assam and Tamil Nadu.