A man has been arrested in India’s Kerala state for his alleged involvement in the death of a pregnant elephant and others are being questioned, the state’s Forest Minister K Raju has said.
One man was arrested by a joint investigation team of police and forest departments in connection with the case, Raju said on Friday.
“There are more people involved. The investigations are continuing,” he told reporters.
The arrest came a day after Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said three suspects had been identified.
The death of the elephant, which reportedly ate a pineapple filled with explosives, led to widespread outrage and triggered a political controversy involving federal ministers.
A preliminary post mortem report indicated the elephant suffered injuries in its mouth and was not able to eat for days, Kerala’s chief wildlife warden Surendrakumar said.
The elephant had strayed into a village in Palakkad district last month from an adjacent national park.
Explosives mixed with some edible substance are often left out by the residents in the area to protect their crops from wild boars and other animals.
The pregnant animal suffered severe injuries and eventually died standing in a river.
