Thattekkad death: Post-mortem reveals man was shot; not killed by elephant

Alappuzha: A day after the death of a 26-year-old man during an illegal hunting trip along with three other friends to Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary area, the autopsy has revealed that the death occurred due to a bullet injury and not in an elephant attack as reported earlier.

The autopsy showed that Tony Mathew had sustained bullet injuries in his left thigh and the reason for the death was found to be loss of blood from the bullet.

Tony Mathew from Thattekadu, was on a pleasure trip with his friends to the sanctuary under Kuttampuzha Forest Range and they entered the forest by 5.30 p.m on Wednesday. Later, Tony was found dead inside the forest.

Another person - Basil Thankachan, 35, Vattappilly House, Thattekad – was admitted to a private hospital in Ernakulam with injuries on spinal cord.