After HC Quashes Certificates, Malayalam Tinsel Star Mohanlal Discloses Full Ivory Collection to Forest Department
Kochi: In a significant development in one of Kerala’s most high-profile wildlife cases, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has declared possession of 10 elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols to the Kerala Forest Department under its one-time amnesty scheme. The disclosure comes weeks after a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court quashed the ownership certificates earlier issued to the actor for the items, terming them illegal and unenforceable.
Officials at the Divisional Forest Office, Malayattoor, confirmed that Mohanlal submitted the declaration recently, revealing six additional elephant tusks beyond the four seized during an Income Tax raid at his Thevara residence in Kochi in July 2011. This brings his total declared collection to 10 tusks and the original 13 intricately carved ivory artefacts. The case originated on July 22, 2011, when Income Tax officials conducting a search at Mohanlal’s home recovered two pairs of elephant tusks and 13 ivory idols. The Forest Department subsequently registered a case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for alleged illegal possession of wildlife trophies.
Over the years, the state government had attempted to regularise the possession through executive orders, leading to the issuance of ownership certificates. However, in late 2025, the Kerala High Court struck down those certificates. The Division Bench held that the government order suffered from procedural irregularities and was never properly notified, rendering the certificates “illegal, void and unenforceable.” The High Court’s order effectively reopened the legal vulnerability around the collection and prompted the Forest Department to introduce a one-time amnesty mechanism, allowing individuals to voluntarily declare wildlife articles in their possession.
In his latest submission, Mohanlal claimed that the 13 ivory idols and several tusks were acquired through “ancestral/hereditary succession.” He further stated that two pairs of tusks were received as “gifts and compliments.” A supporting note attached to the application mentions that three pairs of tusks — measuring approximately 152 cm, 122 cm, and 114 cm — were inherited from his maternal grandmother, Gowrikutty Amma. The six newly declared tusks are stated to be kept at his Thevara residence in Kochi.
The 13 idols, which collectively weigh around 45.76 kg, include several prominent religious carvings such as Tirupati Balaji (7.86 kg), Sree Rama (7.26 kg), Dasavatharam (3.97 kg), and Lord Krishna (3.55 kg). The Forest Department is now expected to prepare a detailed inventory of the declared items. DNA testing of the tusks and ivory may be conducted to establish their origin and authenticity as elephant products. Officials have indicated that the amnesty scheme provides a window for voluntary disclosure, but any grant of immunity will be subject to verification of the claims and compliance with the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The original criminal case concerning the four tusks recovered in 2011 remains pending before the trial court. Conviction under the relevant sections of the Act can attract imprisonment of up to seven years and a minimum fine of ₹10,000. Mohanlal’s decision to disclose the complete collection under the amnesty scheme follows the High Court’s rejection of earlier attempts at regularisation. The case has drawn attention to the challenges of enforcing wildlife protection laws, particularly in instances involving inherited or gifted articles of Schedule-I species such as the elephant. The Forest Department has not yet issued a final order on the declaration. Further updates are expected once the verification process, including possible scientific examination of the artefacts, is completed.
