The Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW), Assam, has confirmed that an elephant named Mohan from Lakhimpur was illegally transported to Jaipur using forged documents and a falsified signature purporting to be that of the Assam CWLW. The Rajasthan Forest Department seized Mohan after its chief wildlife warden reported the matter to Assam officials, and several people involved in the animal’s transport have been arrested, the CWLW office said.
A case has been registered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Jaipur, and the matter is under judicial scrutiny in the Rajasthan High Court. Mohan remains in the custody of the Rajasthan Forest Department pending the outcome of legal proceedings and veterinary checks, authorities said.
Assam officials have opened parallel legal action. A case was filed at CJM Lakhimpur and an investigating officer has been appointed to probe the circumstances of Mohan’s removal from the state. In addition, an FIR has been lodged at Dispur Police Station in Guwahati over the alleged forgery of official signatures, the CWLW office confirmed.
The development follows a letter dated June 12, 2026, from wildlife conservationist and environment journalist Mubina Akhtar, a member of the Kaziranga Wildlife Society, who asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Assam CWLW for detailed records about reported transfers of captive elephants from Assam to Rajasthan and southern states. Akhtar specifically sought documents related to Mohan’s movement to Jaipur and the reported proposed transfer of another elephant, Ram Prasad of Golaghat, citing provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024.
In her request Akhtar asked for ownership certificates, transfer applications, veterinary and genetic profiling records, inquiry reports, transport permits and inter-state communications, and urged authorities to suspend any further interstate movement of captive elephants until full statutory compliance is verified. The CWLW office said that, regarding the Golaghat animal (referred to in some reports as Rama Prasad), there is currently no verified information of any illegal transportation attempt and officials have sought public cooperation to share relevant inputs.
The CWLW reiterated that strict legal action will continue against those found responsible for illegal wildlife transportation and document forgery, and said investigations are ongoing. Northeast Now had earlier reported concerns over Mohan’s movement and the alleged role of forged clearance papers.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam-elephant-mohan-illegally-transported-to-jaipur-using-forged-documents-cwlw-confirms.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-06-18 11:52:00
