Guwahati: A semi-adult male elephant from Assam’s Lakhimpur district has allegedly been transported to Rajasthan without obtaining the mandatory clearance from the destination state’s wildlife authorities, raising serious questions over the role of senior forest officials.
According to information available, the elephant, named “Mohan,” is currently being kept at Amer, a suburb of Jaipur in Rajasthan. The animal was reportedly transported under the supervision of an individual identified as Saleem Khan.
Sources alleged that the elephant was moved out of Assam on the basis of a tour permit issued by Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of Assam, Vinay Gupta. However, the transfer was allegedly carried out without securing the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, which is mandatory for the inter-state movement of captive elephants.
Forest department sources further claimed that the elephant was sent out of Lakhimpur shortly before the transfer of the district’s Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Monoj Kr Goswami, whose role, along with that of Asasm’s CWLW Vinay Gupta, has now come under scrutiny.
Under procedures laid down in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and related guidelines governing the inter-state transfer of captive elephants, prior approval from the CWLW of both the originating and destination states is mandatory. The absence of an NOC from Rajasthan authorities, if confirmed, would constitute a violation of statutory norms.
The incident has raised concerns among wildlife activists, who have repeatedly flagged alleged irregularities in the inter-state movement of captive elephants, particularly in cases involving tourism and private custody.
Sources also claimed that three more elephants—from Lakhimpur, Digboi, and Karimganj—are currently being kept at Manas National Park amid plans to allegedly move them out of Assam.
According to sources, a network is allegedly working to transport as many as 18 elephants from Assam to other states, including Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The operation is reportedly being coordinated by an individual identified as Asif Ahmad from Uttar Pradesh, along with his wife.
A retired senior forest official, currently serving as a consultant with the forest department, and an elephant owner from Bokakhat are also alleged to be supporting the group in facilitating the transport of the elephants.
An email seeking a response from Assam’s Chief Wildlife Warden Vinay Gupta remained unanswered at the time of filing this report. Northeast Now will update the story if a response is received.