One more accused absconding  

Mysuru: The Mysuru Forest Mobile Squad has arrested two persons and seized an elephant tusk weighing about 1.5 kg, along with a motorcycle and two mobile phones, while they were allegedly attempting to sell the ivory. 

Acting on a tip-off that three people were trying to sell an elephant tusk, a team from the squad raided a place near Chikkalli on the Mysuru-T. Narasipur Road.  

Forest personnel noticed J. Rajesh (33) standing beside a motorcycle (KA-55 Y-2732) with a bag on it. Suspecting his movements, they surrounded him and searched the bag, in which they found the tusk.  

He was taken into custody and questioned. Based on the information he provided, the officials arrested another accused. The third person, who had supplied the tusk for sale, is absconding. 

Rajesh is a resident of Kyathamaranahalli in Mysuru. The second accused, J. Ravichandra (35), is from Ballenahalli in Hunsur taluk and had handed over the tusk to Rajesh. The third accused, a native of H.D. Kote, is yet to be traced. 

Forest officials estimate that the tusk may have belonged to an elephant aged around 20 years. They are investigating how the accused obtained it and whether the animal was killed for its ivory. 

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Malathi Priya, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Chamarajanagar Circle and G.Y. Raju, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Forest Mobile Squad. 

Range Forest Officer (RFO) K. Surendra led the team, which included Deputy Range Forest Officers T.C. Kannika, A.M. Sumalatha, H.B. Hemanth Kumar and K. Suresh along with forest guards Tirupathi Poojara, Siddaraja Shetty and Imam Saab Sagari.