28 minutes ago
- copy link
Malayalam actor Mohanlal has declared 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory sculptures to the Kerala Forest Department. The actor has made this announcement under the government’s amnesty scheme. A 15-year-old case is pending against Mohanlal for illegal possession of ivory.
According to the report of Live Law, the total weight of all these idols is about 46 kg, which includes the idols of Lord Krishna, Ram and Tirupati Balaji. The actor said that he had received these things as inheritance or gift.
According to forest officials, Mohanlal had earlier reported having only four elephant tusks. Now they have announced 13 idols along with six more ivory ones. The Forest Department can also conduct DNA test to check these things.
The actor has declared 10 elephant tusks and 13 sculptures made from them.
Found during the raid in 2011 This entire matter is of the year 2011. Then the Income Tax officials had raided Mohanlal’s house located in Thevara area of Kochi. The team went there to search for financial documents and cash, but found the house decorated with ivory and artefacts made from it.
Keeping ivory without government approval is illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. After this, the Forest Department seized these things and registered a case in the Perumbavoor Court.
A 15-year-old case is pending against Mohanlal for illegal possession of ivory. (file photo)
The actor had said- was not aware of the law According to the report of Down to Earth, Mohanlal had then claimed that these ivory teeth belonged to a pet elephant which had died of natural causes. He kept it with him only as a memory. The actor said that he was not aware of it being illegal to keep it. After this, in the year 2015, the government gave him permission to declare these ivory tusks and in the year 2016, he was also issued an ownership certificate.
Mohanlal was a professional wrestler. He was the state wrestling champion from 1977 to 1978.
Certificate canceled after court decision Mohanlal had challenged the order of the Perumbavoor Court in the Kerala High Court, from where he got an interim stay till the year 2025. The actor had also appealed to the government to withdraw the case in the years 2016 and 2019, which was rejected in the year 2023.
According to the report of Live Law, in October 2025, the High Court, while hearing the petition of retired forest officers and wildlife conservators, declared Mohanlal’s ownership certificate invalid. However, the court did not order to prosecute the actor. Now the Forest Department can conduct DNA test of these elephant tusks and idols to find out their authenticity.
