Kochi: Rapper Vedan, also known as Hiran Das Murali, is facing serious legal trouble after being booked under wildlife protection laws for possession of a tiger tooth — an offense that could result in up to seven years of imprisonment, according to Kerala Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran.
The case surfaced during an excise department raid in which Vedan and his associates were taken into custody. Among the items seized was a chain allegedly containing a tiger tooth. Upon being alerted by the excise team, forest officials examined the artifact and confirmed it to be genuine tiger ivory, prompting swift legal action.
Dr. Saseendran emphasized that it is now Vedan’s responsibility to prove in court that the tiger tooth was gifted to him by a fan — a claim he reportedly made during initial questioning.
Forest vigilance officials, who had already been monitoring Vedan prior to the raid, concluded after further verification that the tooth was authentic. Vedan told investigators that he received the tooth from a man named Ranjith in Chennai, who is said to be a permanent resident of Malaysia. The handover allegedly took place last year.
The forest department has launched a focused investigation to trace Ranjith and verify the origin of the wildlife artifact.
Authorities are treating the case with utmost seriousness. Vedan was taken into formal custody late last night following the registration of the case. The police are expected to submit the completed investigation report to the court soon, after which judicial proceedings will follow.
The raid also uncovered additional illegal items including cannabis, approximately ₹9.5 lakh in cash, and several mobile phones from the apartment where Vedan and his team were practicing.
