Malappuram district police chief Abdul Karim IPS confirmed a complaint has been filed by a person named Latheef and an FIR has been registered under section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot).
In an interview with ANI she further added:
Every week an elephant dies of beating in Kerala. They should sack the Chief Wildlife Warden. They should arrest everyone they suspect in Malappuram because they are repeat offenders.
Her comments sparked a communal debate on social media with many tweeting offensive messages against the particular community. The Minister of Forests, Wildlife Protection, Animal Husbandry, K Raju had also clarified the same.
Many were upset with Maneka’s remarks on Malappuram district which also led to her NGO website being hacked by the Kerala Cyber Warriors.
Right now, one arrest has been made in the elephant killing case and investigation is still underway.