The petitioner is the 4th accused in O.R.No.2/2007 of Elanad Forest Station. This O.P. is filed challenging the order passed in CMA.No.76/2009 on the files of the District Court, Thrissur. The above CMA was filed challenging the order No.TC-3-7275/2007 dated 24.1.2009 passed by the Authorised Officer and the Divisional Forest Officer, Thrissur, under Section 61A of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961, (for short 'the Act). The legality, propriety and correctness of the order passed by the Authorised Officer as well as the judgment passed by the learned District Judge in appeal are under challenge in this O.P.

2. Briefly put, the facts of the case is as follows: The petitioner is the 4th accused in O.R.No.2/2007 of Elanad Forest Station. On 9.11.2007 the forest officials detected illicit felling of one dead teak tree and two green teak trees in the Kumblakode area which is a part of the Reserved Forest. During investigation, A1, Mohanan was interrogated and he confessed that the trees were cut and timber were removed for the purpose of construction of his house. The pieces of teak timber were recovered from his house. The value of the sawn timber was assessed as Rs.10,000/-. He furthe