Pune, August 26: High profile wild life lawyer from Jaipur Mahendra Singh Kachhawa arrived in Pune on Sunday to take up the case of Poornima, the elephant who has been kept at the Katraj animal rescue centre after she and another elephant Lakshmi were found roaming the streets of Pune, forced to beg by their mahouts.

Kachhawa has crusaded against actor Salman Khan’s poaching in Rajasthan. Poornima’s case will come up for hearing on Tuesday. “This case is good and we should win,” said Kachhawa.

Among the crucial points is the ownership certificate produced by one Rameshchandra Pande, which Kachhawa and NGO People for Animals (PFA), contend is fake.

“Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, elephants — which fall under ‘animals under schedule one’— cannot be sold or purchased. The Act also states that elephants cannot be used for commercial purposes. Further, the Beggary Prevention Act, 1959 prohibits the use of animals for begging. We will also find out who issued the ownership and the transportation certificate,” Kachhawa said.

Kachhawa is here after PFA trustee Maneka Gandhi hired him to help fight the case. PFA had tipped off the police about the elephants in July and filed an appeal for Lakshmi, who was released earlier this month.

The NGO suspects that the owners have taken Lakshmi out of the city.

“More than eighty volunteers who have been looking out for Lakshmi on the roads of Pune have not been able to track her,” said PFA animal welfare officer Manoj Oswal.

Experts from Kerala and Kolkata checked Poornima’s health on Saturday. Oswal said, “She was in a bad shape two months ago. She is much better today,” he said.

Kachhawa, who will be in the city for three days, will help PFA’s lawyer Asim Sarode.

“I will return to Jaipur on Wednesday and continue with Salman Khan’s case,” he said.

Source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=252925