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Kerala has not yet formally widened its investigation into the 2021 Muttil tree-felling case. Forests and Wildlife Protection Minister Shibu Baby John said the government would consider doing so after a joint examination by the Revenue, Forest and Law departments, according to a PTI report published by Hindustan Times on 3 October 2026.
What the government is considering
The next stated step is a joint review by the Revenue, Forest and Law departments, followed by a government decision on whether to widen the probe. The October 3 report describes consideration of that step, not a final order expanding the investigation.
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John said the inquiry should examine how the circumstances arose and whether there was a conspiracy. “What needs to be uncovered is the conspiracy behind this. The circumstances that led to such a change in stance must be investigated,” PTI quoted him as saying. That is the minister’s view; the report does not establish that a conspiracy occurred or identify anyone as responsible. John declined to name an individual, PTI reported.
How the case relates to the 2020 tree-felling order
The controversy concerns a Revenue Department order issued on 24 October 2020. It addressed the felling of reserved trees, except sandalwood, on patta land—land assigned under the Kerala Land Assignment Rules, 1964. The allegation is that the order was misused to fell high-value trees in Muttil, Wayanad.
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In Purushothaman P. v. State of Kerala, a judgment dated 24 June 2021, the Kerala High Court reproduced the order and recorded the Advocate General’s submission that it had been withdrawn and a fresh order issued in February 2021. The judgment arose from a separate writ petition; it is legal context about the order, not a finding of guilt in the Muttil criminal case. Read the judgment on Indian Kanoon.
John said the cancellation order was published 75 days after the original order and alleged that most trees were felled in the intervening period. That timing and account are his claims as reported by PTI, not independently verified findings in the October report. He also argued that a government order could not override an Act passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly; his statement should not be read as a court ruling on the case.
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What has been reported about the investigation and chargesheets
The filing record reported by news outlets includes different dates and procedural events. The accounts do not establish whether the Forest Department’s most recent filing has been accepted by the court.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Date | What was reported | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 December 2023 | Onmanorama reported an 84,600-page chargesheet treating the episode as one case. | This is the outlet’s account of an earlier filing and case grouping. Onmanorama, 4 December 2023. |
| 11 February 2026 | Onmanorama reported that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed 36 separate chargesheets involving the Augustine brothers. | The outlet attributed the following allegations to the chargesheets: 41 rosewood trees felled; 204.635 cubic metres of rosewood, valued at ₹8 crore, allegedly cut and smuggled; and DNA age analyses indicating that two trees were over 500 years old. These are reported prosecution claims, not findings of guilt. Onmanorama, 11 February 2026. |
| 25 September 2026 | Kerala Kaumudi reported that a court returned a chargesheet because documents were missing and other matters needed clarification. It also said the minister sought an explanation from the Forest Department. | The report concerns a particular chargesheet; it does not establish that all filings were returned. Kerala Kaumudi, 25 September 2026. |
| 3 October 2026 | PTI reported that the Forest Department had recently filed a chargesheet before a court in Wayanad. | The report does not say whether the court accepted that filing. It does not resolve how the latest filing relates to the September report or the earlier chargesheets. Hindustan Times, PTI, 3 October 2026. |
John also said a committee involving the Forest Department and other agencies had been formed in 2021, that the committee had not held a sitting, and that the file seeking inquiry sanction reached the concerned minister five years later. These are statements attributed to him by PTI, not independently established procedural findings in the report.
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What remains unproven
- The proposed wider probe is not yet a confirmed government decision in the October 3 account.
- The claims of conspiracy, exploitation and delayed action are allegations or statements by the minister, not findings established by the cited reports.
- The accused have not been shown as convicted in the reporting cited here. Chargesheet allegations are not proof of guilt.
- The 2021 High Court judgment addresses a separate writ petition and should not be treated as a decision on the criminal allegations.
- The available reports do not settle whether the recent chargesheet was accepted, returned, corrected or otherwise acted on by the court.
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