Unregistered elephants property of the state, releasing them against the law - Counsel

COLOMBO (News 1st); Multiple factions requested the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court to make null the order issued by the Colombo Additional Magistrate on the 06th of this month, to release 14 elephants taken into the custody of the Criminal Investigations Department, to their owners.

The elephants were held in the custody of the CID as their owners retained them without following the proper registration procedures at the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

A motion against the Colombo Additional Magistrate's order was filed by multiple parties including Attorney-at-Law Hansani Premasiri and Attorney-at-Law Nilmal Wickramasinghe.

Attorney-at-Law Ravindranath Dabare, appearing for the complainants, informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala that the Colombo Additional Magistrate's Court had misunderstood the law when imposing a condition to have those elephants registered with the Department of Wildlife within three months.

Counsel also pointed out that as per the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, all elephants that are held with no registration with the Department of Wildlife are considered as the property of the state, and therefore the releasing property of the state is against the law.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala pointed out that the order was not made by his court, and therefore ordered counsel to make relevant submissions to the relevant court on the 16th of September.