O R D E R

The concurrent findings of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II (Forest Offences), Punalur, and the Additional Sessions Court (Adhoc-II), Kollam, in C.C.No. 392/2004 & Crl.A.No.7/2008 respectively, convicting and sentencing the petitioners for the commission of offences under Sections 27(1)(e)(iii) & 27(1)(e)(iv) of the Kerala Forest Act , 1961, are under challenge in this revision petition.

2. The prosecution case is that on 29.04.2004, the petitioners trespassed into the reserve forest coming under Thenmala Range of Ayyappankavu Reserve, and attempted to cut down and remove reeds, causing a loss to the tune of Rs.2,000/- to the Government. In connection with the aforesaid offences, the Forest Range Officer, Thenmala, laid the final report before the learned Magistrate.

3. In the trial before the learned Magistrate, the prosecution examined four witnesses as PW1 to PW4, and brought on record seven documents as Exts P1 to P7. MO1 series were also identified as material objects. After analysing the aforesaid evidence, the learned Magistrate found the petitioners guilty of the commission of the aforesaid offences, and accordingly, convicted them. The petitioners wer