14 DAY TRIAL // Techikottukapu Ramachandran (Raman, for short) is well known for being the tallest elephant to live in captivity, seeing how he measures 3.17 meters (10.4 feet) in height.
However, he is now making headlines because of one other record he has managed to set: having three murder charges filed against him and then getting out on bail. Sources report that, on January 27, Raman killed three women who were taking part in a festival held at the Perumbavoor temple of Kerala by trampling them.
In the aftermath of this incident, Raman was taken by forest department officials into their custody, and banned from making any other public appearances that might translate into other people's being harmed or even killed.
However, recent news on the topic says that Raman was bailed out by his owner, despite the fact that forest officials maintained that he was a dangerous animal and must not be allowed to interact with humans again.
Raman's owner has agreed to keep him from participating in any parades taking place during the following three months.
It is to be expected that the elephant will also be examined by a team of veterinarians, which are to decide whether or not he can take part in other festivals at some point in the future.
Needless to say, animal rights activists and conservationists are likely to argue that the death of those three women thoroughly proves that wild animals must not be held captive under any circumstances.