HC quashes Mohanlal’s ivory ownership certificate

In a major setback for Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, Kerala High Court on Friday quashed the ownership certificates issued to the legendary actor for the possession of elephant tusks and ivory artefacts, declaring them illegal and unenforceable under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

- AM Abdussalam

The verdict is also a major rebuff to the state government, which had earlier regularised his possession through special orders. The Division Bench, comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian, held that the government's decision to issue ownership certificates in 2016 and 2017 was procedurally flawed and therefore void in law.

The Bench further noted that the 2015 government notification - which had paved the way for issuing such certificates - was never published in the official Gazette, rendering the entire process legally unsustainable.