Ex-legislator asked to surrender guns over threat to kill elephants

The notice was issued following a complaint to the deputy commissioner by former Union minister and environmentalist Maneka Gandhi who requested the district administration to file a case against the former MLA under the Arms Act. She also urged him to tender an apology for threatening to kill elephants during a meeting on the human-elephant conflict.

The Hassan deputy commissioner on Saturday issued a notice to former legislator HM Vishwanath to surrender his gun and licence to the nearest police station.

Hassan deputy commissioner issued a notice to former legislator HM Vishwanath to surrender his gun and licence. (Agencies/Representative use)

The notice was issued following a complaint to the deputy commissioner by former Union minister and environmentalist Maneka Gandhi who requested the district administration to file a case against the former MLA under the Arms Act. She also urged him to tender an apology for threatening to kill elephants during a meeting on the human-elephant conflict.

On November 7, a team of high-level officers was constituted by the state government under principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Raj Kishore Singh to study the problem of human-elephant conflict on the ground and submit a report. The team held the first meeting with the residents at Bage in Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district on November 7.

The meeting was attended by elected representatives, farmers, officers, social workers and pro-people organisation leaders. While the committee members were discussing with the people, the enraged ex-legislator Vishwanath said that if the report was submitted to the state government, he would shoot elephants. “I have three guns, including a double barrel gun, and if an elephant comes to kill me at my coffee estate, I will kill it first. Then you can arrest me,” he said.

“We have received a complaint from former union minister and animal activist Maneka Gandhi and served notice to the former legislator,” Hassan additional deputy commissioner Kavitha Rajaram said.

Meanwhile, Vishwanath said, “While explaining the severity of the wild elephant menace, I emotionally threatened to kill the elephant, but I will not take the law into my own hands for any reason.”

“I have already surrendered the gun licence to the deputy commissioner’s office. I even sought an appointment with Maneka Gandhi. I will meet her in Delhi and explain the problems of the farming community in the Western Ghats. Since the last 15 years, 68 people have lost lives in Sakleshapura, and 35 elephants have also died. The state and the union government should take the issue seriously,” he added.

On November 22, following the recommendations of the committee, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the formation of the elephant task force in Kodagu, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts.

The state government also hiked the compensation to the families of the deceased from ₹7.5 lakhs to ₹15 lakhs, apart from raising crop damage and cattle death compensation.