Elephant caught in cross-border tug-of-war

Agartala, Jan 20: In a bizarre cross-border twist, Chandratara, a captive elephant, has become the center of a heated ownership battle between a Bangladeshi national and two Indian villagers.

The pachyderm, unaware of international boundaries, crossed over from Bangladesh into India on September 11 last year, meandering into Kailashahar, a border village in Tripura’s Unakoti district.

What started as a routine rescue operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Tripura forest department quickly spiraled into an ownership tug-of-war. Atiqur Rahman, a resident of Moulvibazar in Bangladesh, insists the elephant belongs to him, presenting photographs and ownership documents to back his claim. Through an emotional video message, he pleaded, “India is a great country, and I trust its legal system. I hope to be reunited with Chandratara soon.”

But the story doesn’t end here. Two residents of Kailashahar have also stepped forward, staking their own claims to the elephant. However, neither has provided substantial proof of ownership, leaving the matter mired in legal complexities.

A local court is set to hear the case on January 21, as Chandratara remains under the custody of the Tripura forest department. “We rescued the elephant after being alerted by the BSF about its presence near the border,” said a forest official. “Initially, two villagers claimed it was theirs, but they couldn’t produce evidence, so we had to take custody.”

All eyes are on the court’s decision, which could set a precedent for resolving such unique cross border disputes.

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