Mohanlal on notice for elephant tusks possession: I'm being harassed

After the Kerala High Court sent a notice to Mohanlal over a petition to quash his permission for the possession of elephant tusks, the actor said that the case was filled with ulterior motives and was a ploy to harass him and damage his reputation. 

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Mohanlal filed a counter-affidavit in the High Court where he stated that the chargesheet in the case was done with an ulterior motive to harass him. The veteran also said that there were several ‘false’ cases filed against him to damage his reputation. 

In 2011, two pairs of elephant tusks were found at Mohanlal’s residence in Kochi in a raid by the Income-Tax. The Forest Department had then started legal proceedings. However, the Drishyam actor had stated that he had bought the tusks for Rs 65,000 from an individual. Later, the principal chief conservator of forests had given the Malayalam actor permission to own the tusks, as per reports. 

A person named AA Poulose, reportedly a former Forest Service official, had challenged this move of the government. AA Poulose had highlighted irregularities in the case and urged the authorities to investigate the matter. The possession of ivory is prohibited, as per the Wildlife Protection Act. 

In September, Range Forest Officer, Kodanad had filed a chargesheet against Mohanlal for possession of the tusks without the required permissions and without keeping the Chief Wildlife Warden in the loop. 

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Earlier this month, the Perumbavoor Magistrate court had sent summons to Mohanlal and the other accused persons in the case.  Moreover, the Kerala government informed the High Court in September that it had not greenlit the decision of the principal chief conservator of forests to issue a ownership certificate to Mohanlal. 

However, Mohanlal stated that his possession of the tusks was legal since he had obtained the ownership certificate from the Chief Wildlife Warden in 2016. 

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for next month. 

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Professional front 

On the professional front, Mohanlal featured in Lucifer earlier this year, which is among the biggest blockbusters of his career. The film, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, has been confirmed for a sequel. The actor also featured in Ittimani: Made in China, that had released during Onam. Another film he is shooting for currently is Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, which reunites him with frequent collaborator Priyadarshan. 

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