The Kerala High Court has made a landmark decision, declaring actor Mohanlal’s ownership certificate for elephant tusks null and void, a verdict stemming from flaws in the procedures followed by the Forest Department. This ruling puts an end to the certificate initially granted in 2016, following the discovery of the tusks at his residence back in 2011.
A major development has happened in the long-running ivory case involving actor Mohanlal. According to the latest reports, the Kerala High Court has ruled that the ownership certificate issued to him for elephant tusks is not legally valid.Reportedly, the court observed that the Forest Department’s action of granting such a certificate violated procedural norms, effectively quashing it.As reported by Live Law website, the bench also directed the State government to issue a new notification to ensure proper compliance with the Wildlife Protection Act.
What the case is about?
For the unversed, the case traces back to December 21, 2011, when Income Tax officials, during a search at Mohanlal’s Thevara residence in Ernakulam, found two pairs of elephant tusks. The government subsequently allowed him to declare the tusks in 2015, after which, in January 2016, the Chief Wildlife Warden issued the ownership certificate. However, this administrative move now stands invalid following the latest High Court verdict.The High Court’s decision represents a setback for both Mohanlal and the Forest Department.
Timeline of a prolonged legal battle
Reportedly, the controversy first reached the Perumbavoor court, which in 2011 ordered Mohanlal to personally appear in the case. The actor challenged this order in the Kerala High Court, which granted him an interim stay that remained in effect until the final verdict was delivered today.Mohanlal had maintained that the ivory was acquired lawfully and, in applications submitted in 2016 and 2019, requested the government to withdraw the case. Although the State initially withdrew the prosecution, a Judicial Magistrate in 2023 dismissed the plea.Meanwhile, on the work front, Mohanlal was last seen in the Sathyan Anthikad’s directorial feel-good film ‘Hridayapoorvam’ which turned out to be a superhit. Mohanlal’s thriller film ‘Thudarum’ also turned out to be a superhit.
