The Bombay High Court has directed the transfer of a female elephant named Mahadevi alias Madhuri, held by a Jain religious trust in Kolhapur for over three decades, to a specialised elephant rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The court noted that the right of an elephant to a quality life is over and above the rights of men to use the animal for religious rites. PETA alleged that the elephant was being commercially exploited under the guise of religious tradition.

According to the NGO, the elephant was rented out for a Muharram procession by the Telangana State Waqf Board for 4 lakh rupees without mandatory forest department clearance.
Photographs submitted showed the elephant forced into noisy crowds, tied with ropes, and controlled using ankush weapons, despite suffering from foot rot and arthritis.