Pune News: Elephant Procession Lands Organizers In Legal Trouble, Case Filed Against Two PeopleĀ 

Pune News: Elephant Procession Lands Organizers In Legal Trouble, Case Filed Against Two PeopleĀ 

Pune News: Elephant Procession Lands Organizers In Legal Trouble, Case Filed Against Two PeopleĀ 

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Pune, February : A victory procession held in Pirangut to celebrate Mulshi MLA Shankar Mandekar’s election win has led to legal action against the organizers for violating wildlife protection laws. The procession, which featured Mandekar riding an elephant and distributing 125 kg of sweets, resulted in a case being filed against the event organizers and the president of Shri Ganpati Panchayatan Devasthan in Sangli, who provided the elephant.

The event took place three months after the assembly elections, with Mandekarā€™s supporters bringing in the elephant from Sangli for the celebration. Photos and videos of the procession circulated on social media, prompting Aditya Paranjape, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Pune district, to initiate an inquiry with the forest department officials.

Under the Wildlife Protection Act, elephants receive special protection, and their participation in public gatherings is heavily restricted. Despite this, the organizers brought the elephant into a crowded environment in Pirangut. Investigations revealed that Rahul Balkawade, one of the organizers, had arranged for the elephant from Shri Ganpati Panchayatan Devasthan.

Paranjape stated that the Kolhapur Wildlife Division had only granted permission for the transportation of the elephant, explicitly prohibiting its presence in noisy, crowded places and the use of fireworks nearby. However, the organizers disregarded these guidelines, leading the forest authorities to take legal action against them.

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Further investigation teams from the Sangli and Pune forest departments will visit Tasgaon for continued inquiries. The elephant is currently at the Devasthan and will be taken into custody, according to Pratap Jagtap, Forest Range Officer of Paud.

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