O R D E R

The application is filed under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, for an order of pre-arrest bail.

2. The petitioners are the accused Nos. 2 and 3 in O.R No.4/2022 of the Poongode Forest Range, Thrissur, registered against the accused (three in number) for allegedly committing the offences punishable under Sections 2(2) (16) (20) (35) (36), 9 39(1)(b)(d) 50 and 51 (1) of the Wild Life Protection Act. (in short, ‘Act’).

3. The crux of the prosecution case is that: the first accused along with other persons had hunted and killed a wild bear. During the interrogation of the first accused, he confessed that the accused Nos.2 and 3 are also involved in the crime. Thus, the accused have committed the above offences.

4. Heard; Smt.Sruthy.N.Bhat, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and Sri, Nagaraj Narayanan, the learned Special Public Prosecutor.

5. Smt.SruthyN.Bhat strenuously argued that the petitioners have been falsely implicated in the crime. Other than for the alleged confession statement of the first accused there is nothing on record to connect the petitioners with the crime. The so called confession statement is inadmissible in evidence, in vi