The petitioner stated that during a raid conducted by the Income Tax Department at actor Mohanlal’s residence in Kochi on July 22, 2011, officials allegedly seized two pairs of elephant tusks along with 13 ivory artefacts. Read on to know more.
On Friday, the Kerala High Court declared that the ivory certificate, given to actor Mohanlal, was not valid. It was the Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife who granted the certificate. Besides, the court also revoked the government permits that were in the actor’s favor. On a petition from retired forest officer Mathew, a division bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayaranjan Nambiar, delivered the verdict. Mathew had questioned the ownership rights granted to Mohanlal. He narrated how on July 22, 2011, the Income Tax Department made a raid on Mohanlal’s home in Kochi, where they took two pairs of ivory tusks and 13 ivory artifacts. Afterwards, the Forest Department initiated judicial proceedings against the actor and three other persons in the Parambavoor First Class Magistrate Court.
Is Mohanlal’s ivory ownership certificate illegal?
The petitioner argued that the actor at the time of the seizure of the items did not hold the requisite ownership certificate as per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCC), it is alleged, then issued the certificate, secretly with the court. The petition claims that the certificate is utterly illegal and a breach of the law. It also mentions that no separate case was made concerning the illegal possession of the 13 ivory artifacts that were taken from the actor’s residence.
What is the court’s decision in Mohanlal’s case
The court ruled that the ownership certificates granted by the government in 2016–17 were legally invalid. The court annulled the certificates issued in the name of Mohanlal on January 16, 2016, and April 6, 2016, respectively, proclaiming them illegal and invalid. The bench further mentioned that it would not elaborate on the process of issuance of the certificates because that could interfere with the ongoing criminal case.
Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today!
Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_Inarticle_300x250|300,250~Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_Inarticle_2_300x250|300,250~Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_ATF_970x90|970,250~Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_ATF_300x250|300,600~Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_BTF_1_300x250|300,600~Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_BTF_2_300x250|300,600~Bollywoodlife_Web/bollywoodlife_ros_strip|1300,50~Bollywoodlife_Web/Bollywoodlife_AS_OOP_1x1|1,1
