Dismissal of govt. plea to withdraw proceedings
Dismissal of govt. plea to withdraw proceedings
Actor Mohanlal has moved the Kerala High Court challenging the order of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court 3, Perumbavoor, which dismissed the State government’s plea to withdraw the prosecution proceedings against him in the illegal ivory possession case.
The State government had filed the petition to withdraw the prosecution by arguing that continuing the case against the actor would be a futile exercise and wastage of the precious time of the court.
The Forest department booked the actor under the Wildlife Protection Act after an Income Tax raid at the Kochi residence of the actor on December 21, 2011 led to the seizure of two tusks fixed on a stand made of rosewood and two others fixed on the sides of a mirror.
The actor argued that he got both the pairs of elephant tusks legally from two persons, who were arraigned as the accused in the wildlife crime case. He contended that the State government had issued a certificate of ownership for the tusks in 2015.
Challenging the order of the magistrate, the actor contended that the magistrate did not consider the matter on merit and hence the dismissal of the application for withdrawal of prosecution was illegal.
