Kerala elephant death: Hyderabad man announces Rs 2 lakh reward for info on culprits

HYDERABAD: Grieved at the killing of a pregnant elephant in Kerala, an animal lover in Hyderabad has announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh to anyone who provides clues leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits.
“I was shaken looking at the pictures of the dead elephant and the baby which died in its womb because of the explosive material that was fed to it in a pineapple,” BT Srinivasan, a resident of Malkajgiri told TOI.Srinivasan who is also the president of general secretary, United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, Great Hyderabad, said if he had announced only a token amount as reward, no one would seriously take interest to get the culprits caught. “I am serious that the culprit should be caught and convicted,” he said.
The 55-year-old Srinivasan is also a farmer who cultivates paddy and has a mango orchard at Toopran which falls in Medak district. Such is his love for animals that he has adopted a street dog that he has named ‘Tommy’ and takes care of it.
“I love animals but anyone who is not an animal lover should be shocked at the way the elephant in Kerala has been killed. This is not a rare thing that has happened. It is a regular feature in the area and it should be stopped. If the police announce rewards for people leading to the arrest of most wanted criminals why should they not show the same interest in rewarding people who help them arrest culprits who kill animals?” he questioned.
Asked how he would go about handing over the money, Srinivasan said he would not be hasty about giving it immediately to whoever the police says they got information from. “I will hand over a cheque to the animal husbandry department in Kerala. After the case is investigated thoroughly and the culprit gets convicted, the money should go to the person who gave the police the crucial information,” Srinivasan said.