Jharkhand News : An unusual and high-value theft has been reported in Palamu district, where an elephant valued at ₹1 crore has gone missing. The mahout (elephant handler) entrusted with its care has also disappeared, prompting a police investigation. Fortunately, the elephant is equipped with a tracking chip, which is now being used by the forest department and police to trace its location.
The FIR was lodged at Medininagar Sadar Police Station on Friday by Narendra Kumar Shukla, a resident of Nandini village in Vindhyachal, Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh.
From Uttar Pradesh to Jharkhand – and Then Disappearance
According to the complaint, the elephant named Jaymati was originally obtained by Narendra from a man named Sangam Lal on a legal custody agreement (“zimmanama”). Due to inadequate food and care facilities in his village, Narendra decided to move the elephant to Jharkhand.
He handed over the responsibility of the elephant’s care to Munna Pandey of Mirzapur and Munna Pathak of Chunar, who later developed a friendship with Tarkeshwar Nath, the owner of another elephant. The group eventually arrived in the Jorkat area under Medininagar Sadar Police Station in Palamu.
Narendra arrived in Palamu on August 11, where he saw the elephant and the mahout. However, when he returned on August 13, both the elephant and the mahout were missing. Despite his efforts to search across Palamu and other parts of Jharkhand, neither was found. After nearly a month of fruitless searching, he filed a formal complaint.
Police and Forest Officials on the Case
Sadar Police Station in-charge Lalji confirmed that an FIR has been registered and that Narendra has claimed the elephant is worth ₹1 crore. The forest department has been informed about the chip implanted in the elephant, which could help locate its exact position.
Efforts are now underway to trace the animal and apprehend those involved in the theft.
