The Kerala Forest Department on Friday arrested one person in connection with the killing of a pregnant elephant in Palakkad that caused a huge outrage globally. Officials said that the bomb was planted inside a coconut which when consumed by the elephant blasted in the mouth causing grievous injuries to the animal leading to its death.
The Kerala Police, which is assisting KFD in the investigation, said the bomb was planted in the coconut by daily wage earner Wilson who used to work for main accused Abdul Karim. His son Riyasuddin is the second accused. The father-son duo is on the run. Karim owns a rubber estate.
Meanwhile, the police have intensified its search for the accused. A wildlife official said, the accused had kept the bomb for killing wild boars. They sell the meat of wild boars killed through this method.
“KFD has zeroed in on the culprits and recorded the first arrest in the wild elephant death case,” said the department in its official twitter handle.
Samuel Pachuau, the Wildlife Warden of the Silent Valley National Park, the original habitat of this pregnant elephant said the arrest has been made. “More arrests are expected and the joint probe is going on very well. We are not ruling out anything and we are not just looking into the pineapple theory alone. We will respond at the appropriate time,” said Pachuau.
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