COIMBATORE: Forest department officials on Friday arrested a man for chasing a wild elephant in the Pollachi forest range under the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).The arrested man has been identified as K Mayavan, 48, of Chinnarpathy tribal settlement near Azhiyar in Coimbatore district.According to forest department officials, someone travelling on the Aliyar–Valparai road recorded a video of a man chasing a wild elephant standing in the forest area near the Samamatta canal on Aug 2. The video was later uploaded on social media platforms.Based on the instructions of chief conservator of forests and field director (Coimbatore) D Venkatesh, forest officials initiated an inquiry and identified the man seen in the video as Mayavan.He was brought to the Pollachi forest range office for questioning on Friday. A case was registered against him under the Wildlife Protection Act. Mayavan was produced before the Pollachi judicial magistrate and lodged in the Pollachi sub-jail under judicial custody.
