Kochi: Kerala High Court has issued a ban on parading the elephant Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, a favourite in the Thrissur Pooram circles, in public places.

The court's interim order is based on Assistant Forest Conservator's report, which said the elephant has lost eyesight on its right eye. The report recommended a complete to parading of the tusker.

A division bench of Justices Muhammad Mushtaq and Anu Sivaraman issued the order on a plea submitted by a Idukki-based society.

In 2017 too, a medical team had submitted a report asking for a similar ban. Even after that the elephant was paraded in public places.

The ban was imposed only after an agitated elephant killed two people in 2019. This too turned out to be a temporary stop, as the ban was revoked later.

The elephant, which has many fans among pooram enthusiasts, is thought to be 58 years old. As per reports, it went from Assam forests to Bihar without a name and was later christened Moti Prasad. Though the elephant was named Ganeshan when he reached Thrissur, it was renamed name by the Thechikottukavu Devaswom, after it bought the elephant from Venkidadri Raju Narayanaswami in 1984.

Ramachandran has been a favourite of the Thrissur Pooram enthusiasts for many years. He debuted in 2014 and was loved for his broad cranium and long trunk.

In 2019, the Elephant Owners Association went on strike saying that they will not provide their tuskers for Thrissur Pooram till the ban on Ramachandran was revoked.