TEJ BAHADUR DUBE (DEAD) BY L.RS vs FOREST RANGE OFFICER F.S.(S.W.),H.BAD

The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in reversing the trial court's acquittal of the appellant under Section 29(4)(a)(i) of the A.P. Forest Act, 1967, for transporting finished sandalwood products without a transit permit. The Court emphasized that the prosecution failed to prove that a permit was necessary for such products, aligning with the precedent set in Suresh Lohiya vs. State of Maharashtra (1996 10 SCC 397). The Court ruled in favor of the appellant's legal representatives, thereby nullifying the High Court's order of confiscation and reinstating the trial court's findings.