Ex-Kerala minister gets notice for illegal possession of elephant

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Kerala minister and film actor K B Ganesh Kumar, MLA, has landed in trouble with a Vigilance Court here issuing a notice to him for illegal possession of a jumbo which he had bought from Forest Department 20 years ago to offer the animal to a temple.

Judge John K Illikadan served the notice yesterday on a complaint filed by one C P Sasidharan.

The complainant alleged that Kumar, who represents Pathanapuram constituency in the Assembly, had bought a seven-year-old male elephant from the department-owned jumbo shelter in 1994 on the pretext of donating it to Kavilamma Bhagavathy Temple.

Though the law stipulates that a jumbo bought in this manner should be offered to the temple within six months, the former minister has been keeping it as his own and using it as a source of income by renting out the animal to temple festivals, the complainant alleged.

Animal right campaigners also recently raised the same issue against Kumar.

Thrissur-based animal rights group Heritage Animal Task Force even lodged a complaint in this regard with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Kumar had resigned from the government following a complaint of domestic violence filed by his estranged wife.