Two weeks ago, Narendra Kumar Shukla of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, filed a police complaint in Palamu, Jharkhand, claiming his elephant, Jayamati, was stolen while being transported from Ranchi to Jaunpur. Shukla alleged that the mahout had orchestrated the theft.
According to Shukla, he had purchased Jayamati to continue his family tradition of keeping elephants. The elephant and its mahout reportedly went missing from Jorkat in mid-August.
Jayamati was later traced to Chhapra, Bihar, with a man named Gorakh Singh, who claimed he had bought the elephant for Rs 27 lakh. Initially, police suspected the mahout of selling the elephant.
However, the investigation took a surprising turn. Palamu police chief Reeshma Ramesan revealed that Shukla had not purchased the elephant alone. Records showed that he and three others had bought Jayamati for Rs 40 lakh.
“Shukla initially presented it as a theft worth nearly Rs 1 crore. We registered a case of cheating, but further investigation in Chhapra revealed the true details,” she said.
The case continues to unravel, leaving authorities and locals stunned by the twists in this unusual elephant saga.
“It came to light that the elephant was not under the sole ownership of the complainant, but had actually been bought jointly by four partners. But three partners had executed an agreement and sold the elephant to the man in Chhapra for Rs 27 lakh,” the senior police officer said, unveiling the twist in the tale.
According to reports, Gorakh Singh has submitted valid documents for purchasing the elephant. Jayamati is currently under his custody on a police bond. Authorities have asked all parties to present the relevant papers on Monday.
“Only after verifying these documents can we determine the elephant’s legal ownership,” said Palamu police chief Reeshma Ramesan.