Mohanlal declares 10 elephant tusks, 13 ivory idols amid wildlife case trial
Actor Mohanlal has declared to the Kerala Forest Department that he is in possession of 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols under the state's
Actor Mohanlal has declared to the Kerala Forest Department that he is in possession of 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols under the state's wildlife amnesty scheme, even as he continues to face trial in a case involving the alleged illegal possession of wildlife articles, officials said on Monday. Officials at the Malayattoor Divisional Forest Office said the actor submitted the declaration under the department's ongoing amnesty programme, which allows individuals to voluntarily disclose wildlife articles in their possession.
Mohanlal had earlier declared four elephant tusks and has now disclosed six more. Read Full Story According to officials, the newly declared items include 13 ivory idols depicting deities such as Lord Krishna, Lord Ram and Tirupati Balaji, with a combined weight of around 46 kg. Mohanlal has maintained that most of the elephant tusks were either inherited or received as gifts. Forest officials said the declared tusks and ivory artefacts will undergo DNA testing to verify their authenticity and origin.
Under the amnesty scheme, owners of unregistered wildlife articles can declare them before the authorities to regularise their possession and avoid penal action. The declaration comes while Mohanlal is facing trial in a wildlife case stemming from the alleged illegal possession of four elephant tusks. The case dates back to 2011, when an Income Tax Department raid at the actor's residences reportedly led to the recovery of elephant tusks and ivory artefacts. The Forest Department subsequently booked him for allegedly possessing two pairs of elephant tusks without the required legal permission.
Although the Kerala government later sought to withdraw the prosecution, the trial court rejected the request. The Kerala High Court subsequently upheld that decision, allowing the criminal proceedings against the actor to continue. Last year, the High Court also cancelled the ownership certificates issued for the ivory articles in Mohanlal's possession, setting aside a state government order that had regularised his ownership of the tusks. Ends (PTI inputs)
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