Kerala court asks actor Mohanlal to appear for trial in ivory possession case

The Perumbavoor Judicial First Class Magistrate Court ruled that four accused, including Mohanlal, should face trial and appear in person in connection with the Ivory Possession case. Anju Cletus, the Judicial First Class Magistrate 3, Perumbavoor, asked the actor and others to appear before the court and face trial. 
The trial court has set a date of November 3 for Mohanlal's appearance. The court rejected the government's petition to withdraw the prosecution proceedings. The other accused in the case are K Krishnakumar, PN Krishnakumar, and Nalini Radhakrishnan. 

In 2011, ivory tusks were found in Mohanlal's house during an inspection by the Income Tax Department. The court has ordered the accused to appear on November 3 and will proceed with framing of charges. The case originated from an Income Tax raid in 2011. Later a charge sheet was filed by the Forest Department. The state government attempted to withdraw the prosecution, but third-party intervenors opposed the plea. Two third-party petitioners A A Paulose and James Mathew, opposed the plea. The Kerala High Court upheld their prayer citing public interest in the case.

Meanwhile, the actor had submitted that he is allowed to keep ivory. He stated that the license is retroactive. Therefore, there is no legal restriction on keeping ivory. Mohanlal counsel also stated in the court that the charge sheet issued against him regarding keeping ivory is not legally valid. Mohanlal also alleged in the affidavit submitted that the court is trying to tarnish his public image through this one incident.

After the raid, seven years later, the case was registered and the police filed a charge sheet implicating Mohanlal in the case. But after taking a stand in favour of Mohanlal three times before, in 2012, the Forest Department filed a case against the actor for illegally keeping ivory. After the investigation, it was found that the case does not fall under the scope of the Wildlife Protection Act and was withdrawn.