Erode (TN) (PTI): Two middle-aged men have been arrested for placing electric fences on their land that led to the death of an elephant inside Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) here, forest officials said.

The Kadambur forest officials on Sunday evening arrested Kondan (53) and Mohan (57) from Chinna Kundry forest area within STR for the electrocution of the male elephant a couple of days back.

According to forest officials, the pachyderm was found dead in Chinna Kundry forest area near a private land on Friday. The forest officials led by Forest Ranger Ravindran rushed to the spot and an autopsy was conducted with the help of a veterinarian.

Based on the post-mortem report, the forest officials learnt that the elephant was electrocuted to death when it touched the electric fence erected illegally by Kondan and Mohan, the two owners of the private land. For two days, the forest officials conducted enquiries with them.

The men admitted that they put up the charged fence by connecting it to a power line to scare away wild animals, especially elephants, and also to save their standing maize crop. The officials said when the elephant went there, it grazed the fence and got electrocuted. It appears that the jumbo came in search of food.

The forest officials are conducting further interrogation with the arrested men.

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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.

It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.

"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.

"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.

The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.

Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.