SILCHAR, July 19 - The Cachar Divisional Forest Office has issued a showcase notice to the owner of the 47-year old female elephant Lakshmi, who had died recently arguably due to overwork in Mizoram and later the villagers allegedly ate its meat.
Divisional Forest Officer, Sunny Deo Choudhary told The Assam Tribune on Friday, �the elephant named Lakshmi was registered under Cachar Forest Division vide registration no SAC/01/CHR/19 dated 01-09-2009. She was given to a lady named Khualhina in Mizoram on lease by the owner Mostufa Ahmed Laskar from Sonai constituency here. The elephant was found dead recently. The owner has not taken any permission for transportation of elephant from this division and hence, we have issued the showcause notice to him to explain his side. We will initiate action as per the Wildlife ( Protection) Act 1972.�
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the despite the expiry of the lease agreement in 2014, the jumbo was put to overwork in the Kanhum Forest in Mizoram. Even as the lady claimed that the elephant died due to cardiac arrest, the Forest Department has issued a notice to the owner to submit the postmortem report of the deceased elephant.
