Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has declared 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols to the Kerala Forest Department under the state's wildlife amnesty scheme.
The collection includes idols of Lord Krishna, Lord Ram and Tirupati Balaji. The declaration was made to legalise the items and avoid further action under the scheme.
Officials said the collection weighs about 46 kg. Mohanlal has claimed the tusks were inherited or received as gifts. The Forest Department will now conduct DNA tests to verify the origin of the ivory.
The case began in 2011 after the Income Tax Department found elephant tusks and ivory articles during a raid at the actor's Kochi home.
The Forest Department later registered a wildlife case against him for allegedly possessing protected wildlife items without proper permission.
Although the Kerala government tried to withdraw the case, the courts refused and allowed the legal proceedings to continue.
In 2016, the Kerala High Court cancelled Mohanlal's ownership certificates due to procedural issues. However, it also suggested an amnesty scheme for people willing to declare wildlife articles.
Mohanlal has now used that scheme, but the court case is still pending. Meanwhile, the actor continues work on several upcoming films.
