SIT questions suspects in pregnant elephant's death

Cops and onlookers stand on the banks of Velliyar River in Palakkad district of Kerala as a dead elephant is retrieved from the water. Pic /AFP

Significant headway has been made in the investigation into the recent gory death of a pregnant wild elephant in a suspected man-animal conflict in a forest area in Palakkad district in Kerala, the forest department said on Thursday. A Special Investigation Team set up for probing the death of the elephant, which drew widespread condemnation, was questioning several suspects, it said.

The elephant had consumed a pineapple filled with explosives, which exploded in the animal's mouth in the Silent Valley Forest and it died about a week later on May 27.

The forest department also said it would leave no stone unturned to ensure maximum punishment to the culprits. "In the offence registered as per the sections of WL(P)A for hunting the elephant, several suspects are being interrogated. The SIT formed for the purpose is making a significant headway in this regard. Forest department will leave no stone unturned to ensure max punishment to the offenders," the department said in a tweet.

As the incident triggered an outrage, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said a wildlife crime investigation team from Kozhikode has been dispatched to the place of the incident.

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