Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene and husband Shriram Nene have sent a letter to Kolhapur MLA Vinay Kore requesting him to ensure relocation of elephant Sunder to a sanctuary.

The letter was sent by the Nene couple to Kore on behalf of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an organisation that looks after the well being of animals. Kore, in 2007, had donated the elephant to the Jyotiba temple in Kolhapur.

The letter comes in advance of the next High Court hearing, scheduled for January 21, for a case in which PETA is seeking Sunder's release from temple where the elephant has been kept chained and inside dark sheds for most of the time.

"(Sunder) has scars on his legs and cowers in fear and pain because he is being beaten by his mahout," write Dixit-Nene and her husband. "He should live free from suffering, in the company of other elephants, and have the opportunity to roam vast distances," they wrote.