After strong opposition from the public over the transfer of the Kolhapur elephant to Vantara, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court (SC) to bring back the elephant, Madhuri/Mahadevi, to Kolhapur’s Nandani village.
Following a high-level review meeting, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The State government will file a review petition in the SC to bring her back from Vantara, an animal rescue centre run by Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat.”
“We will also request SC in this petition to appoint an independent committee to investigate the issue,” he said, adding that the government would make efforts through all legal means to bring her back.
The move comes after widespread protests across Kolhapur, Sangli district, where villagers demonstrated against Madhuri’s transfer from the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Mutt. The protests included a “boycott Jio and Reliance products” signature campaign, wherein over two lakh signatures opposing the transfer were sent to President Draupadi Murmu, and a rally from Nadani to Kolhapur covering around 40 km.
Mr. Fadnavis said the government would form a team, which included a veterinarian, to provide care for Madhuri once she was back and establish a rescue centre if needed.
