Thrissur: Police have intensified the probe into the mysterious death of a wild elephant at Mulloorkkara. The carcass of the 15-year-old animal with a missing trunk was found buried at a private property on Friday. A team of police in charge of the investigation was dispatched to Goa in search of the land owner Roy of Vazhakode.

Four people who helped Roy are absconding too from the police. The forest department believes the elephant was electrocuted in a trap set for wild boar on June 14. 

A DNA test of the ivory will be conducted on Saturday. The carcass will be cremated after due procedures.

A total of six people were booked in the case. Among them, two are remanded and five are absconding.

The arrest of one of the accused Akhil Mohan with elephant ivory revealed the mysterious death of the elephant, according to police. He was nabbed while attempting to sell the ivory.

The carcass, which was roughly 20 days old, was found buried on Roy's land near the forest area under the Machad range in the district. On Friday, police took Akhil to the spot where the elephant was buried for evidence gathering.

Meanwhile, forest minister AK Saseendran ordered a probe into the incident.

 Saseendran told the media in Kannur that the elephant might have been electrocuted or killed by other means. "If it was electrocuted or found dead, the residents of the area could have informed the forest department. But it did not happen. The concerned DFOs have been instructed to conduct a probe. The police will probe the matter," the minister said.

Launching the investigation, forest officials said they were examining if there was any connection between the incident and a recent seizure of a tusk from Kodanad range in Ernakulam district: the search was conducted based on a tip-off received on July 14. Machad Range Forest Officer Sreedevi Madhusoodhanan told the media that they had conducted a preliminary inquiry based on the tip-off.

(With PTI inputs)