Actor Mohanlal’s case of illegal possession of ivory paved the way for a blanket amnesty to declare possession of wildlife in Kerala.
The state forest department will soon come up with a notification to allow the general public to declare wildlife trophies in their possession under Section 40 (4) of the Wildlife Conservation Act, 1972.
The period for declaring possession of such articles expired on 30 September 1991 in Kerala. The proposed scheme would benefit legal owners of articles who could not report them after the deadline, sources said.
The amnesty system would only be open to wildlife in the legal possession of individuals. The law provides that the department shall conduct an investigation and prepare an inventory of the subjects for which the declaration was requested. After the declaration, the owners receive title deeds to the items and immunity from any legal action.
The government’s decision comes in the wake of the Kerala High Court’s recent verdict canceling the certificate of ownership of two pairs of ivory and 13 ivory idols found with actor Mohanlal.
A Division Bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian, declaring Mr. Mohanlal’s title deeds invalid and unenforceable, held that the State Government can issue a fresh notification under Section 40 (4) of the Act declaring wildlife trophies to persons or a class of persons.
Mohanlal is unlikely to benefit
But the new system is unlikely to benefit Mr Mohanlal and others who are accused in cases related to the illegal possession of wildlife items, including ivory. The actor is facing trial in a case related to the illegal possession of two sets of ivories that were discovered during an income tax raid at his residence in Kochi a few years ago.
Mr. Mohanlal has not yet approached the state forest department with any request for a declaration since the Kerala High Court order, sources in the forest department said.
Interestingly, the forest department, which has booked the actor for possession of ivory, is taking a wait-and-see approach over the illegal possession of 13 ivory idols found in his possession during the Income Tax raid.
Apart from the two sets of ivories, Mohanlal’s possession of the idols became illegal as the court canceled his title deed. The legal option of challenging the High Court order in the Supreme Court is open to the actor, sources said.
Meanwhile, the State Wildlife Board approved an agenda last year seeking to further extend the deadline for declaring wildlife articles, according to forest officials.
Published – 04 Feb 2026 19:56 IST
