Police probe on after infant taken beneath captive elephant in Haripad

The Haripad police have launched an investigation into an incident in which a seven-month-old infant was taken beneath a captive elephant chained at a private property near Haripad. The incident came to light on Tuesday after visuals surfaced showing the baby being carried through the legs of the tusker, Haripad Skandan, by a mahout.

In the video, the mahout is seen passing the infant under the elephant’s body as part of a ritual believed to ward off fear. At one point, while standing close to the animal, the baby slips from the mahout’s hands and falls near the elephant’s feet. The child, however, escaped without injuries.

Following the incident, the elephant was restrained and removed from the premises. The animal had been chained for the past few months afer killing its mahout.

Though no formal complaint has been filed, the police have registered a suo motu case based on the visuals, invoking provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and sections related to negligence, an official said.