Malayalam star: Mohanlal officially declared the elephant tusks and ivory items in his possession to the Kerala Forest Department. The new declaration comes as the legal matter related to the alleged illegal possession of ivory continues.
Mohanlal submitted a new declaration
According to a BollywoodBubble report, Mohanlal informed the department that he currently owns 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols. The declaration comes after the Kerala High Court canceled the ownership certificates issued for the 2025 tusks. Officials are now expected to continue the verification process.
What is the case about?
The case began in 2011 when income tax officials raided Mohanlal’s house in Thevara area of Kochi. During the search, officials allegedly found elephant tusks and several ivory artifacts displayed inside the house.The items were seized under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits the possession of ivory without proper government permission. After the seizure, a legal case was registered.Later, Mohanlal said the tusks were from a captive elephant that died of natural causes. He also said he kept them as memorabilia and “didn’t know it was illegal to keep them.”
The High Court canceled the earlier certificates
The case took a turn in 2025 when the Kerala High Court ruled that the ownership certificates issued to Mohanlal were invalid. The certificates were issued after the government allowed him to declare the tusks in 2015, and the ownership papers were issued in 2016.The court’s decision came after petitions were filed by retired forest officials and wildlife conservationists. However, the High Court did not order any prosecution against the actor.In his latest declaration made in 2026, Mohanlal informed the Forest Department that he has 10 elephant tusks, which is six more than the number declared earlier. He also declared 13 ivory idols. The idols reportedly include figures of Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, and Tirupati Balaji, with a total weight of about 46 kilograms.
