Haripad police arrest two mahouts for taking infant beneath elephant

The Haripad police have arrested two mahouts booked in connection with an incident in which a seven-month-old infant was taken beneath a captive elephant chained at a private property near Haripad.

The accused have been identified as Jithin Raj and Abhilash, mahouts of the elephant Skandan, belonging to the Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple at Haripad. While Jithin Raj was taken into custody from Haripad on Wednesday (January 7, 2026), Abhilash was arrested from Perumbavur in Ernakulam on Thursday (January 8, 2025). Notably, Abhilash is also the father of the infant involved.

“The accused have been booked under provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to negligent conduct with respect to animals. The charges are bailable. While Jithin has already been released on bail, Abhilash remains in custody and will be released soon,” said Haripad police sources.

Though no formal complaint was filed, the police registered a suo motu case based on the visuals of the incident. The incident reportedly occurred last Sunday but came to light only on Tuesday after visuals surfaced online showing the baby being carried between the legs of the tusker, reportedly as part of a ritual believed to ward off fear. Significantly, the tusker had trampled a mahout to death a few months ago. The infant was reportedly brought to the temple for the ‘choroonu’ ceremony. The visuals show the baby slipping from the hands of one of the mahout’s and falling near the elephant’s feet while the mahout tried to place the child on the elephant’s trunk. The infant escaped unhurt.

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