Palakkad (Kerala) [India], June 4 (ANI): Kerala Forest Minister K Raju assured that strict action will be taken against those involved in the killing of the pregnant elephant in the state and also clarified that the incident had taken place in Palakkad, and not Malappuram.

It is important to note that BJP MP and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi had slammed the Kerala government on Wednesday for not taking the issue of cruelty against animals seriously and had alleged that "Mallapuram is known for its intense criminal activity especially with regards to animals."

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"Strict action will be taken against the culprits who are responsible for the killing of a pregnant elephant. I want to clarify that it happened in Palakkad not in Malappuram. Regarding, the remark of Maneka Gandhi, I don't want to comment at this juncture," Raju told ANI here.

Gandhi had, later on, slammed the incident as a case of "murder" and had termed Malappuram as the "most violent district" in the country while talking to ANI.

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"It is not an incident. It is a murder. A pregnant elephant was fed a pineapple filled with bomb that exploded its mouth. Malappuram is very famous for incidents like this. It is the most violent district in the whole of India," Maneka Gandhi told ANI.

The elephant had died on May 27 after she ate the pineapple stuffed with crackers and forest officials said that it died standing in river Velliyar after it suffered an injury in its lower jaw.

The elephant was seen standing in the river with her mouth and trunk in the water for some relief from the pain after the explosive-filled fruit exploded in her mouth. (ANI)

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