Guwahati: The Gauhati high court has asked a Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee to examine the rehabilitation of nine elephants from Assam, including Joymala, allegedly kept illegally in Tamil Nadu.The court, presided over by Justice Devashis Baruah, sought a report from the committee on the elephants’ rehabilitation. It also directed Tamil Nadu govt to conduct monthly inspections of the facilities where the elephants are housed and, pending the committee’s final decision, seize and rehabilitate those found lacking adequate nutrition or other essential care.The order, passed by the court on Aug 18, was released on Monday. The order was passed in a petition moved by Assam govt in Sept 2022, which sought the release of Joymala, also known as Jeymalyatha, after videos of her being beaten went viral.Leased out by Assam govt for three years in 2011, Joymala continues to remain in the custody of Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple in Tamil Nadu. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, which was impleaded as a respondent in the case, has sought Joymala’s rehabilitation at a sanctuary where she can live free from chains and in the company of other elephants.PETA India has also urged HC to refer the matter to High-Powered Committee (HPC), headed by retired Justice Deepak Verma, to examine and adjudicate issues relating to the ownership, transfer and rehabilitation of captive elephants. The animal rights organisation has sought similar relief for eight other elephants from Assam whose periods of temporary transfer to Tamil Nadu have expired.Asking the HPC to let PETA India give their point of view, the court observed that Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) temple’s stand reduced Joymala to a “movable object and did not appear to be genuinely in the interest of the elephant”.PETA India’s vice president of policy Khushboo Gupta said, “The use of live elephants at temples when mechanical alternatives have been widely accepted is unnecessary, dangerous, and outdated. PETA India hopes that the High-Powered Committee will expeditiously order rehabilitation of all nine elephants to sanctuaries where they can live free of chains and weapons.”Assam has been demanding Joymala’s return since 2021. A 2022 inspection at the temple where Joymala is kept revealed that the 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 inspectors.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.
