In Brief
The State of Karnataka appealed against the High Court's acquittal of three accused persons who were charged with transporting sandalwood illegally under the Karnataka Forest Act. The trial court had convicted them, but the High Court set aside the conviction, holding that the Range Forest Officer who certified the seized material was not shown to be properly authorized and trained as mandatorily required under Section 62C of the Act. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court, finding the prosecution failed to prove the officer's qualification or that the seized items were actually sandalwood. The appeals were dismissed as the statutory compliance requirements were not met.
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