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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has done the right thing by ignoring popular sentiment and dismissing an appeal against entrusting the care of an old temple elephant to the care of an animal welfare centre run by the Reliance Foundation. The case of elephant Madhuri is typical of the anthropomorphism that characterises human-animal relationships in India, and the judiciary was right to override human emotions and prioritise animal welfare. Madhuri -- also called Mahadevi -- spent 33 years in captivity at the Shri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Jain Math in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, after being brought there as a calf torn from her mother around 1992. She lived much of her life chained and alone in a concrete enclosure. She was regularly used for religious ceremonies and processions as well as for commercial activities such as parades. Eyewitness and veterinary reports documented that she was controlled with a banned metal ankush (spiked stick). Her keepers reportedly rented her out to perform poojas, monetising her labour. She was frequently transported between states, often without proper permissions, which attracted legal scrutiny and animal welfare complaints from organisations like PETA India. The elephant's health deteriorated over the years: veterinarians found open wounds, arthritis, overgrown nails, foot rot, lameness, and visible psychological distress, including symptoms of zoochosis, an abnormal repetitive behaviour caused by captivity. In 2017, Madhuri fatally injured the head priest of the math when he tried to feed her when her keeper was on leave. Repeated complaints from animal welfare organisations and intervention by the Ministry of Environment's High-Powered Committee ultimately resulted in a Bombay High Court order in July 2025, which was upheld last week by the Supreme Court, mandating Madhuri's relocation to the Vantara sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This facility is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre specialising in geriatric and abused elephants. Before the elephant was transported to her new home at Vantara, local villagers and functionaries of the Digambar Jain sect organised a campaign opposing her relocation. Videos and news reports from Kolhapur described local villagers weeping at her farewell, likening it to bidding farewell to a fond daughter. Some observers said there were tears in the elephant's eyes too -- a physiological occurrence often mistaken for emotion. Other opponents of Madhuri's transfer argued that the use of elephants in rituals is an ancient historic custom that must be respected. The argument of customary practice is hard to engage with because of religious sensitivities. Indeed, elephants and horses have been used in religious and royal ceremonies for centuries. However, in today's practice, animals have often been misused despite their use in sacred functions. It is also common for animals to be kept for rental purposes, agnostic to any particular religion. Madhuri, for instance, was frequently rented out by her Jain keepers for Muharram processions and Ayyappa ceremonies in Hyderabad. When primarily kept in captivity for rent, what separates the keeper of an elephant from the madari or the snake-charmer? By ordering Madhuri's rehabilitation at Vantara, the Supreme Court has rightly prioritised animal welfare over religious considerations. Now it must go a step further and order audits of all animals kept in captivity by religious groups, zoos, private individuals and circuses. Going further, it would be a humane thing to do to ban all forms of animal captivity.
Story so far: India celebrated its 75th year of adoption of its Constitution on Tuesday (November 26, 2024) with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint session of parliament. While the Constitution of India hits its diamond jubilee this year, event commemorating is as 'Constitution Day' was started only in 2015. Prior to this, it was called 'National Law Day' -- first initiated by former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Laxmi Mall Singhvi in 1979. "The Indian Constitution is a live, progressive document," said Ms. Murmu adding, "I urge all citizens to imbibe the constitutio ...Read More >
The annual 'Kartheeka Brahmotsavams' began at the temple of Goddess Sri Padmavati Ammavaru at Tiruchanur here on November 28 (Thursday). Priests hoisted the 'Dhwajapatam', the sacred flag bearing the imprint of the divine elephant (the celestial carrier of Goddess Padmavati), atop the temple flag post as part of the 'Dhwajarohanam' ceremony, which signalled the formal launch of the nine-day fete. Under the guidance of the 'Pancharatra Agama' adviser Manikantha Swamy, the officiating priest (Kankana Bhattar), K. Srinivasacharyulu, and priest Babu Swamy conducted the rituals. Executive Office ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress on Wednesday gave a notice to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the Lok Sabha to discuss the recent statements made by a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court. "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely:- The recent statements made by a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court..." said K. Suresh, Congress MP and party's Chief Whip in the Lower Hosue. He said in the notice ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jan 27 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday suggested Abhishek Lodha and his brother Abhinandan Lodha to try and amicably resolve the issue over the use of 'Lodha' trademark. The Abhishek Lodha-promoted Macrotech Developers Ltd earlier this month filed a suit in the HC against Abhinandan Lodha's real estate firm, House of Abhinandan Lodha, claiming the name 'Lodha' was their trademark and no one else could use it. The suit sought Rs 5,000 crore as damages from Abhinandan Lodha's company. In an interim application, Macrotech Developers sought a perpetual injunction against the defen ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): In a move to uphold animal welfare and maintain public hygiene, the Delhi Government has issued a strict advisory against the illegal killing and sacrifice of cows, calves, camels, and other prohibited animals during the Bakra-Eid on June 7, a release said. The advisory issued by the Delhi Government outlines strict guidelines to ensure lawful and hygienic practices during Bakra Eid. Also Read | Chinnaswamy Stampede: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Suspends Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Orders Arrest of Representative of RCB and Others After FIR. It m ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at 15 places in Mumbai and Kochi in connection with the Mithi River desilting scam that caused a wrongful loss of more than Rs 65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), official sources said. The massive crackdown is underway at the premises across Mumbai and Kochi linked to the accused and suspects as part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities. According to the sources, the searches are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at locat ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (VOICE) The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that no fresh suits would be registered under the Places of Worship Act in the country, and in the pending cases, no final or effective orders would be passed till further orders of the Apex Court. A Special Bench headed by CJI Sajiv Khanna asked the Union government to file within four weeks its reply to the clutch of petitions challenging the validity of the 1991 Act, which prohibits the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. The Bench, also c ...Read More >
New Delhi: Observing that "criminalisation of politics is a very major issue", the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond to a PIL challenging election of convicted persons as MPs/MLAs. The development took place during the resumed hearing of a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, seeking lifelong disqualification of MPs and MLAs convicted of criminal offences. The PIL has challenged provisions of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) that bar convicted politicians from contesting polls for six years after serving jail terms. A be ...Read More >
Itanagar, Jun 7 (PTI) The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh improved on Saturday with water levels of most rivers receding, even as 33,000 people in 24 districts remained affected, officials said. Twelve people lost their lives and one person went missing in rain-related incidents, including landslides, after the monsoon set in, they said. In its daily report, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 33,200 people in 215 villages remained affected due to floods and landslides in the state. The water levels of most major rivers and their tributaries were showing a receding trend o ...Read More >
BUDAUN: A court hearing a plea of a Hindu outfit, which had sought permission to worship at Jama Masjid Shamsi here claiming it was a temple, on Tuesday asked the Muslim side to complete their arguments by December 10. Arguing his case, the lawyer for Shamsi Shahi Jama Masjid Intezamia Committee and Waqf Board Asrar Ahmed questioned the locus standi of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha to file the petition in the matter. Urging the court to dismiss the plea, the counsel submitted that the mosque is about 850 years old. He stated that there is "no existence of a temple" there and worship by Hin ...Read More >
The Supreme Court halted new temple-mosque legal battles. The court will review the 1991 law impacting religious site status. This law froze the status of religious sites as of August 15, 1947. Several cases, including Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah, challenge this law. The law's validity is being questioned. The court's decision impacts ongoing and future disputes.In its ruling on the keenly-watched Place of Worship Act case, the Supreme Court said on December 12 that no new Mandir-Masjid suits are to ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has directed that no new lawsuits related to places of worship (temples, mosques, or shrines) can be filed until further notice. This decision was made during the ongoing hearing of petitions challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The ruling prohibits the lower courts from issuing any survey orders or interim orders that might alter the status or nature of any religious site. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice K.V. Vishwanathan, issued this order while hearing sev ...Read More >
New Delhi, December 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the government is committed to providing every facility to the devotees visiting Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh. Ahead of his visit to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday, PM Modi said that he will take stock of the works related to the Maha Kumbh and also inaugurate and launch multiple development projects. PM Modi Prayagraj Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Arrive in Prayagraj Today To Launch Development Projects Worth Around INR 5,500 Crore. "Along with making the Maha Kumbh of faith divine and grand, we are committed to providi ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): In a move to uphold animal welfare and maintain public hygiene, the Delhi Government has issued a strict advisory against the illegal killing and sacrifice of cows, calves, camels, and other prohibited animals during the Bakra-Eid on June 7, a release said. The advisory issued by the Delhi Government outlines strict guidelines to ensure lawful and hygienic practices during Bakra Eid. It mandates that all sacrificial rituals must occur exclusively at designated locations, explicitly prohibiting sacrifices on roadsides, streets, or any public spaces. It emphas ...Read More >
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 7 (ANI): Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the 'government of the day is handicapped' as it can't register a first information report and said that the three-decades-old judicial order provides a 'virtually impregnable cover'. The Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said, 'The Government of the day is handicapped. It can't register an FIR. Because there is a judicial order. And that judicial order is more than three decades old. It provides virtually impregnable cover. Unless permission is accorded by a functionary at the highest level in ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], November 28 (ANI): India has expressed its concern over the escalating incidents of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and desecration, and damage to their places of worship, and has also called on the interim government there to ensure the safety of minorities. In a response to question asked by RJD MP AD Singh, Minister of State for Ministry of External Affairs, Kirit Vardhan Singh in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, stated that the "primary responsibility" for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, "rests with ...Read More >
Gandhinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) The BJP government in Gujarat on Tuesday formed a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the Uniform Civil Code in the state, and also draft a bill for the same. While the Opposition said the decision was aimed at diverting attention from pressing issues ahead of the upcoming local body polls, the government claimed rights of the tribal communities will be protected if the UCC is implemented. The five-member committee, to be headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, will submit its report within 45 days, following which a decision abou ...Read More >
Rajgir/Gayaji (Bihar), Jun 6 (PTI) Rejecting outright the 50 per cent cap on caste-based reservations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday vowed that "the barrier will be broken" in whichever part of the country his party came to power. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha made the promise in Bihar, the state which was a hotbed of the Mandal agitation in the 1990s, and where polls to the assembly are likely in a few months. "I wonder where did this idea of a 50 per cent cap come from? The population of the deprived sections is close to 90 per cent," said the former Congress president ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the world's highest Chenab Rail Bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, and the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. These railway projects directly connect Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is an all-weather railway corridor designed to provide seamless connectivity to the region through the rail network. During his visit, PM Modi reviewed the Chenab bridge, world's highest ra ...Read More >
Viral video shows AI cameras spotting a herd of elephants. (Photo: X/susantananda3) Elephants in Odisha's forests often face the threat of train collisions on railway tracks, as highlighted by multiple reports over the years. To prevent such accidents, authorities installed four AI cameras in the Rourkela Forest Division. A post on X (formerly Twitter) by Susanta Nanda, a retired Indian Forest Service officer, stated that the use of AI cameras effectively averted another potential accident. In t ...Read More >
Kolkata: BJP on Saturday criticised urban development minister Firhad Hakim over a video where the Kolkata mayor is purportedly heard making a comment on minorities. Hakim had made the comment while addressing an educational conference recently. Hakim said BJP was using his quote out of context and he was only referring to the gulf between the educated and the uneducated. "As education spreads, the gulf will be bridged and there will be one identity," said Hakim. Saying that he would never play ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
SC bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B. Varale noted that the permanent alimony amount should be decided in such a manner that it does not penalise the husband but ensures a decent standard of living for the wife. Even as the outrage over the death of Atul Subhash, a Bengaluru-based techie who died by suicide continues, the Supreme Court has issued an 8-point guideline on how the permanent alimony amount should be calculated in divorce cases. The SC bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Pra ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed courts across the country to refrain from admitting or passing any new orders on pleas seeking surveys of mosques to determine if temples lie beneath them. This decision extends to existing suits, halting any further orders on the matter. The directive was issued as the apex court continued hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. This Act prohibits filing lawsuits to reclaim places of worship or alter their character from what existed on August 15, 1947. Judicial Revie ...Read More >
Dibrugarh: Residents of Khamjongia village in the Titabar area of Jorhat district came together to rescue four wild elephants, including a struggling calf, that had fallen into a deep pond. The incident took place around 6.10 pm on Wednesday, when the elephants which got separated from their herd, found themselves trapped in the large pond, unable to climb out due to its steep slippery edges. The elephants repeatedly attempted to scale the pond's steep sides but kept sliding back into the deep muddy water. As it got dark and temperatures dropped, concern grew among the villagers, particularl ...Read More >
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government's policies and decisions were aimed at boosting India's strength and unity in line with the Constitution, while the opposition Congress had "tasted blood" by repeatedly wounding it.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government's policies and decisions were aimed at boosting India's strength and unity in line with the Constitution, while the opposition Congress had "tasted blood" by repeatedly wounding it. Replying to a t ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 20 (UNI) In a landmark judgment impacting judicial service aspirants across the country, the Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated the requirement of a minimum three years of advocacy practice for candidates applying to entry-level judicial posts. The ruling clarifies that this condition will apply prospectively to future recruitment processes and not affect any judicial recruitment exercises already initiated by High Courts before this date. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, Justice AG Masih, and Justice K Vinod Chandran delivered the verdict in ...Read More >