Forest and Wildlife Department officials arrested former president of the Bisonvalley grama panchayat in Idukki district at Thollayiram Kandi near Mundakkai in Wayanad district on Monday night on the charge of possessing two pieces of elephant tusks weighing 7.85 kg.
The arrested was identified as Peer Muhammed Basha , 55, of Mounzpura at Pottankadu near Bisonvalley in Idukki district. He was managing a leased property at Thollayiram Kandi, near Mundakkai .
Three days ago Forest Department officials found a decayed carcass of a 30-year-old male elephant without tusks inside the Kattimattom reserve forest under the Meppadi forest range in South Wayanad forest division, Divisional Officer B. Ranjith Kumar told The Hindu.
A post-mortem showed that the animal was killed in a fight with another tusker . However, the officials during their investigation found that Basha stole the tusks from the decomposed carcass.
Basha told the officials during interrogation that he had stolen the tusks from the carcass with the assistance of three others, who were also from Idukki district.
Later he hid the tusks under a tree near the leased property. The trio is absconding after the incident, Mr. Ranjith Kumar added.
The officials seized the tusks and a vehicle that used for transporting the ivory. The accused was charged under various Sections of the Kerala Forest Act and Wildlife Protection Act.
