#Kerala Forest Act

Kerala High Court quashes forest offence proceedings against an accused after co-accused were acquitted due to inadmissible confession statements, reinforcing that the substratum of the prosecution case collapses when key accused are exonerated. The ruling underscores the mandatory application of the 'substratum lost' principle in split trials, preventing prolonged harassment of remaining accused.

The Kerala High Court refused pre-arrest bail to accused in a pangolin poaching case, holding that mere proximity to seized contraband without direct evidence linking them to the crime fails the threshold under Section 482 BNSS. This reinforces that anticipatory relief cannot be granted where the prosecution’s case rests on circumstantial inferences unsupported by concrete linkage, setting a critical precedent for wildlife crime investigations.

The Kerala High Court has ruled that holding a bail condition requiring passport surrender for over eight years-without any progress in investigation-constitutes an unreasonable restriction on personal liberty under Article 21. This sets a critical precedent for accused persons seeking employment abroad, mandating trial courts to periodically reassess such conditions in light of investigative delay.