Commercial film shoots in national parks: Kerala HC seeks state govt's views
The court was hearing an appeal by Angels Nair, general secretary of NGO Animal Legal Force Integration, Ernakulam. Nair's appeal raised concerns regarding the 2018 shoot of the Malayalam film Unda, including soil dumping in a reserved forest in Kasaragod.
Responding to the petition, the forest and wildlife department's under secretary filed a counter-affidavit enclosing a GO that revises entry fees and security deposits for filming in protected areas.
The order sets separate fee schedules for commercial, documentary and educational films.
After examining the documents, the court questioned whether commercial shoots should be allowed at all in such areas. At the special govt pleader's request, the matter was adjourned to Jun 23 for instructions, and Manu Vyasan Peter was appointed amicus curiae.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Rahul Mamkootathil quits as Kerala Youth Congress chief amid harassment allegations
Kerala Youth Congress State President and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil has resigned from his post following allegations of harassment made by Malayalam actor and former journalist Rini Ann George, and later, writer Honey Wednesday, Rini alleged that a youth leader from a major political party had repeatedly sent her offensive messages and even invited her to a hotel. She said that despite being aware of his behaviour, party leaders continued to support she did not name anyone, the BJP staged a protest march to Rahul Mamkootathil's office, accusing him of being the leader in question. DYFI, the youth wing of CPI(M), too, marched to Mamkootathil's Palakkad office demanding his resignation. Soon after, writer Honey Bhaskaran also came forward with similar allegations and named Mamkootathil. In a post, she claimed he had repeatedly messaged her and later misrepresented their conversations to others. Honey alleged that several complaints had been made against him within the Youth Congress, but no action was announcing his resignation, said he was stepping down not because he had done anything wrong, but to ensure the party could focus on its work.'As far as Youth Congress workers and party workers are concerned, they have a lot of work to do before the next assembly and panchayat elections. They cannot waste time justifying me. I respect their time. We will fight strongly against the CPI(M) government and face the elections,' he said. He added that no party leader had asked him to resign and called it his personal to the harassment allegations, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan clarified that the Congress had received a complaint only now and assured that action would be taken 'whoever it is.'Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan also said the complainant was "like a daughter" to him."If they commit any mistake, I will take action. A serious complaint has now been raised, and it will be handled accordingly. His position was given based on his work," said Satheesan.- EndsIN THIS STORY#Kerala
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
'She Is A Friend': Kerala Youth Congress Chief Resigns After Rini George's Allegations
Last Updated: Rahul Mamkootathil resigned as Youth Congress Kerala president after harassment allegations by Rini Ann George. BJP protested, demanding the Palakkad MLA's resignation. Rahul Mamkootathil on Thursday resigned as the president of the Youth Congress's Kerala unit after harassment allegations by Malayalam actor Rini Ann George. Announcing his decision, Mamkootathil said he did not do anything wrong, but party workers do not need to justify him. He also called George his 'friend" and said he would take the legal course if there was any complaint against him. 'Is there any legal complaint against me? The lady, who made the statement, has not named me. She is a friend of mine. Is there any complaint against me in any of the police stations in the state?… The party workers don't have to defend me. That is why I am resigning from the post of state youth congress president. The party has not asked me to resign," he said. George has not named Mamkootathil, but the BJP alleged the actor was referring to the Palakkad MLA. George accused the politician of sending her offensive messages on multiple occasions and invited her to his hotel room. The BJP has also staged a protest march to the office of Congress's Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, demanding his resignation. After George's allegations, Honey Bhaskaran, a writer, accused Mamkoottathil of sending her messages through social media. Bhaskaran got to know about Mamkootathil when he reacted to one of her photos on Instagram, leading to a conversation between them. Bhaskaran alleged that the MLA habitually misrepresents his interactions with women in lewd ways among his peers. 'I know many of his victims, and more will come forward with complaints. He tells every woman that she is the only one he loves, while saying the same to others," Bhaskaran told Malyalam newspaper Manorama. Congress To Look Into Allegations Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said that the Congress party will take action after looking into the allegations. 'The Party will look into the allegations. We will check the gravity of the allegations. If it is very serious, we will take necessary action. There is a procedure; he will get an opportunity to present his side. Then only will we make a decision. We will make a decision immediately; there won't be any delay. There are no complaints before the party. If someone is making any allegation, we will look into it. We will take it very seriously, we will take proper action, there will be no mercy," the Congress leader said. view comments First Published: August 21, 2025, 13:47 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Rahul Mamkootathil Resigns As Kerala Youth Congress President After Harassment Allegations
Last Updated: Rahul Mamkootathil resigned as Youth Congress Kerala president after harassment allegations by Rini Ann George. BJP protested, demanding the Palakkad MLA's resignation. Rahul Mamkootathil on Thursday resigned as the president of the Youth Congress's Kerala unit after harassment allegations by Malayalam actor Rini Ann George. Announcing his decision, Mamkootathil said he did not do anything wrong, but party workers do not need to justify him. 'That is not their job," he added. Rini has not named Mamkootathil, but the BJP alleged the actor was referring to the Palakkad MLA. Rini accused the politician of sending her offensive messages on multiple occasions. view comments First Published: August 21, 2025, 13:47 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
