Aastha Thakur
Published on: 11 June, 2022, 19:05 IST
As the trial court dismissed the Kerala government’s petition seeking withdrawal of prosecution proceedings against the Actor Mohanlal. The actor now will have to face trial in the wildlife crime case booked against him for the illegal possession of two pairs of ivory recovered in a raid by the Income Tax Department in June 2012.
The case was accordingly registered against him by the Forest Department under Section 50 of the Wild Life Protection Act.
The actor has repeatedly made claims before the government in January 2016 and September 2019 that the ivory was purchased legally and therefore the case holds no water.
The Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court, Perumbavoor, rejected the plea considering the proceeding of the case would be a futile exercise and a waste of precious judicial time.
The Petitioners counsel represented by Advocate Abraham P. Meachinkara, opposed the withdrawal of prosecution by arguing that it was in opposition to the provisions of law and legal precedents.
The petitioner raised the contention that the certificate of ownership furnished by Mr. Mohanlal for the issuance of the ivory was void. Further, no legal proceedings were initiated against the actor for the 13 ivory artefacts that were found along with two pairs of elephant tusks.
