Mohanlal violated wildlife protection Act, 1972

Kochi: Forest officials have informed a local court here that Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, from whose house ivory tusks had been seized in Income tax raids in 2010, had violated the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The actor did not have any certificate of ownership of the seized ivory and by its possession had violated wildlife rules, Divisional Forest Officer B N Nagaraju stated in an affidavit before the First Class Magistrate Court at Malayattoor. Forest officials had registered a case against Mohanlal, P N Krishnakumar and N krishnakumar, the first, second and third accused in the case following seizure of the ivory. The second and third accused stated that they had obtained permission from the wildlife authority for possesion of the ivory, which was later handed over to the actor for safe custody as they were employed abroad. The case was registered under Sect 44(6) of the Indian wild life act which deals with possesion of trophies. PTI