Special HC bench to hear plea

Madurai: The Madras high court on Tuesday directed to place a plea which sought translocation of elephant Arikomban to Kerala before a special bench of the court hearing cases pertaining to environmental issues. Rebecca Joseph of Ernakulam, who filed the public interest litigation petition, sought a direction to the authorities to translocate Arikomban to the Tamil Nadu forests bordering Mathikettan Shola National Park in Kerala, a place where the elephant knows.The petitioner stated that the elephant’s usual movement and life centre around Chinnakanal, Anayirangal dam and Mathikettan Shola National Park in Kerala. He should be translocated to a known territory rather than an unknown one. TNN