The Chhattisgarh High Court has rebuked the energy department secretary and the managing director of the state power distribution company for negligence over the death of three elephants, including a calf, due to electrocution in Raigarh district last month.

A division bench, led by Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru, issued directives to the energy department, calling on officials to submit affidavits explaining the incident. The High Court also asked the officials to share the details of the circumstances that led to the elephants’ deaths in Raigarh’s Gharghoda Forest Range and outline preventive steps to avoid future incidents.

The court has taken up the matter on its own accord, pointing out the seriousness of wildlife safety and conservation. The bench has asked the department for a detailed account of any corrective or preventive actions taken since the incident, as well as any disciplinary measures against those responsible.

The incident took place when three elephants came into contact with an 11 kV power line in Chuhkimar forest on October 24. The deaths followed days after a similar incident on October 10, where three bears were found dead in Kanker.

Chhattisgarh has recorded over 70 elephant deaths in the past six years due to various causes, including electrocution. According to the state forest department, 13 elephants have died due to electrocution alone in 2024.

Preliminary investigations reveal that forest department staff had repeatedly alerted the local electricity department employees about the dangerously low-hanging 11 kV transmission line, which posed a threat to elephants in the area.

Despite warnings, no action was taken, leading to the tuskers’ deaths.