New Delhi: A two-month, nationwide search for an elephant that was illegally whisked away by its mahout ended before dawn Wednesday when authorities found it hiding in plain sight -- near the banks of Yamuna river in New Delhi, about 5 km from where it had disappeared, officials said. Forest Department officials had been searching for 47-year-old Laxmi since July 6 when they had raided her owner's house in New Delhi's Shakarpur area to take her to a rehabilitation centre in Haryana. But officials claim the team was attacked by the owners and his family. In the commotion, Laxmi's mahout, Saddam, rode away with it and disappeared into a wooded area in the Yamuna floodplains near the Akshardham temple.

"We requested police to increase patrolling in the Yamuna Pusta area as we suspected the elephant was being kept somewhere there," a Forest Department official said. "We launched a search operation on Tuesday to locate the elephant. Three teams comprising around 12 officials combed the areas along the banks of the Yamuna river and the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border," he added. Finally, it was found at around 3.30 am in the Yamuna Khadar area in the eastern part of the capital near the Uttar Pradesh border. Saddam has been arrested under various charges including obstructing a public servant, Delhi Police officials said, adding that Laxmi's owner Yusuf Ali and his elder son are absconding.