Malayalam actor Mohanlal has officially declared 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols to the Kerala Forest Department under the state’s amnesty scheme. The actor has been linked to a 15-year-old case over allegedly keeping ivory without proper permission.
According to reports, the ivory items weigh around 46 kg and include idols of Lord Krishna, Lord Ram, and Tirupati Balaji. Mohanlal said these items were either family heirlooms or gifts he had received.
Forest Department May Conduct DNA Test
Forest officials said Mohanlal had earlier declared only four elephant tusks, but he has now reported six more tusks along with the 13 ivory idols. The department may now carry out DNA tests to verify the origin of the ivory.
The case began in 2011, when Income Tax officials searched Mohanlal’s home in Kochi and found elephant tusks and ivory artworks during a raid. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, keeping elephant ivory without government approval is illegal.
At that time, Mohanlal claimed the tusks came from a pet elephant that had died naturally and said he did not know that keeping them was against the law. In 2015, the Kerala government allowed him to declare the tusks, and in 2016, he received an ownership certificate.
The case went on for many years. Mohanlal got temporary relief from the Kerala High Court, but later his ownership certificate was cancelled. Now, the Forest Department may conduct DNA tests on the ivory items.
