Kerala HC scraps ivory ownership certificates issued to Mohanlal

Kochi, Oct 24 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Friday held that the Forest Department's ownership certificates for ivory items in the possession of actor Mohanlal were void and legally unenforceable.

A Division Bench comprising Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Jobin Sebastian, however, clarified that the state government may issue a fresh notification under Section 40(4) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, if it wishes to allow the actor to retain the ivory articles.

The ruling came on a petition filed by Paulose K A of Eloor, Kochi, challenging the state government’s notifications issued under Section 40(4) of the Act that had allowed Mohanlal to declare two pairs of ivory tusks and 13 ivory artefacts before the Chief Wildlife Warden and subsequently obtain ownership certificates under Section 42 of the Act.