THRISSUR: The first accused Akhil Mohan admitted to the Forest Department team that he was the one who cut off the tusk in connection with a wild tusker being killed and buried in a rubber plantation.

A machete which was used to cut the elephant's tusk was found in the evidence collected with the accused at the place where the elephant was buried.

14 cm of the horn was cut. The accused disclosed that no acid or other chemicals were used for this purpose. Akhil, who has been designing movie posters and flex for years, is not a professional gang member. If he had, he would have taken both tusks. The tusk was sold to pay off the debt. Akhil was contacted by the land owner Roy's relative from Pattimamattom. Akhil's friend Aneesh, a native of Pattimatam, was also in the group. As per indications, the absconding landlord Maniyanchira Roy will be caught soon. After receiving information that he is in Goa, a probe is being carried out here. His phone is off and house has been locked for more than two weeks.

The exhumed skeleton was sent for chemical analysis yesterday. The way elephant was killed can be confirmed only when the results are out. The forest department concluded that the cause of death was shock. As it is a rare occurrence, the rest of the remains sent for inspection will be kept by the forest department until the case is over.