On April 12 at around 3.30, a hormone-crazed elephat named Rajsekaran tethered at Varkkala Edava Bhaghavathy temple
Suddenly turned violent and killed its mahout as a panic-stuck crowd of devotees helplessly looked on in horror in Thiruvananthapuram of south Indian state of Kerala.

The incident happened at Edava area under Ayiroor police station limits on the outskirts of the city. The diseased has been identified as Baiju, 45, a resident of Kollam. He was the assistant mahout to Rajashekharan, a tusker in his twenties.

So far nine people have been killed by elephants in Kerala this year. Earlier in the day, Rajasekharan had attacked and injured the main mahout Satheeshan, who is currently hospitalized. Rajasekharan is owned by one Puthankulam Shaji of Paravoor.

The temple authorities had brought this elephant illegally for temple festival and tethered under scorching sunlight to 'cure' the hormone-crazed elephant.

According to activists, this is one of the 488 elephants kept illegally by mafia without having statutory ownership certificate.

The elephant in question was illegally kept and rented out by elephant contractor to temple fest organizers.