The petition to withdraw prosecution proceedings against actor Mohanlal in the illegal ivory possession case was filed in a “hasty manner without addressing the challenges” raised before the Kerala High Court regarding the legality of the ownership certificate of ivory issued to him, the trial court has stated.
Dismissing the withdrawal petition, Anju Cletus, Judicial First Class Magistrate 3, Perumbavoor, noted that it was not desirable for the trial court to discuss the question of legality of the ownership certificate, as the third party intervenors and the State government were contesting the legal validity of the certificate before the High Court. The withdrawal petition was filed during the pendency of the writ petition, the court noted.
The court also noted that it would be fair in the eyes of law to consider the withdrawal petition on the basis of the adjudication on the legality of the certificate. Hence, the court was not inclined to allow the withdrawal petition for the time being, the order said.
