In Brief
The Deputy Range Forest Officer challenged a Kerala High Court order that quashed criminal proceedings against a man accused of illegally possessing a turtle. A veterinary surgeon had identified the seized turtle as 'Indian Flap Shell Turtle (Lissemys punctata)', which does not appear in Schedule I Part II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Although a related subspecies ('Indian Soft-shelled Turtle' with the scientific name Lissemys punctata punctata) is protected, the actual seized turtle was not. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision to quash the proceedings, holding that possession of an unprotected species cannot constitute a wildlife offence.
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