MADURAI: The Special Crime Branch (SCB) of CBI officials recently registered a case against eight people under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act and Wildlife (Protection) Act for allegedly trading the tusks of elephants in 2022.
According to sources, the suspects were identified as M Murugan (62), R Vellaiyan (60), and K Thangam from Lower Camp of Uthamapalayam of Gudalur in Theni; J Mathew John (53), C Johnson (51), V Nidhin (30), K Ashokan (50), and H Adbul Azeez Karattil (34) from Kerala.
“Based on a tip-off, the forest officials caught Murugan in October 2022 who claimed he buried the tusks in the Vairavanur waterbody in Suranganur Beat. Later, the officials caught Vellaiyan, Mathew, Johnson, Nidhin, Ashokan, and Adbul,” sources said.
“Vellaiyan and Thangam had found the tusks buried in the Vairavanur River when they went fishing. They had approached Murugan seeking help in selling the two tusks, following which, Murugan had sought the help of Mathew and others,” sources said, adding that the investigation had commenced after the orders of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.