Four Convicted in Tamil Nadu Elephant Electrocution Cases

A Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Coimbatore, designated as a Special Court for CBI cases, delivered convictions against four individuals on Thursday in connection with the electrocution of two wild elephants. The judgments were handed down by Chief Judicial Magistrate K. Sivakumar, following investigations taken over by the CBI from the Forest Department under the direction of the Madras High Court.

What Happened

In the first case, Mathappa, 38, and his father Kalayya, 78, were sentenced to three-and-a-half years of imprisonment. They were found guilty of electrocuting a 10-year-old male wild elephant in the Jeerahalli forest range of Erode district on December 19, 2020. The father-son duo had illegally connected an iron cable fence around their six-acre farm, cultivating crops like ragi and paddy, to an overhead low-tension powerline. Each was also fined ₹25,000.

In a separate case, Aruchamy, 64, and his wife Thilagavathy were sentenced to five years of imprisonment for causing the death of a 25-year-old male tusker. This incident occurred within the Boluvampatti forest range in Coimbatore district on January 5, 2021. The couple farmed paddy and other crops on over seven acres at Semmedu and had illegally used an electricity connection intended for agricultural purposes to power a fence on their farm. They too were fined ₹25,000 each.

Key Facts

• A special CBI court in Coimbatore convicted four people for electrocuting wild elephants.
• Mathappa and his father Kalayya were sentenced to 3.5 years in prison and fined ₹25,000 each.
• They electrocuted a 10-year-old tusker on December 19, 2020, in Erode district using an illegal electric fence.
• Aruchamy and his wife Thilagavathy received 5-year sentences and ₹25,000 fines each.
• They electrocuted a 25-year-old tusker on January 5, 2021, in Coimbatore district using an illegal electric fence.
• The investigations were transferred to the CBI by the Forest Department following a Madras High Court directive.
• The judge noted the crimes were for personal gain and resulted in the death of a 'voiceless creature'.

Background

The judge presiding over the cases commented on the convicts' actions, stating that their crimes were motivated by personal selfishness and led to the death of a 'voiceless creature'. He added that when farming occurs in areas where elephants naturally roam, it is expected they will seek food from nearby crops. Therefore, the court found no grounds for leniency in sentencing.