Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Persons bowul to assist Forest Off"zcl!r and Police Officer:-( I) Every person who exercises any right in a Reserved Forest or who i3 permitted to take any forest produce from, or to cut and remove timber, or to pasture cattle in, such forest, and every person who is employed· by any such person in such forest, and every V1llagc Officer or person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed by the Govern- ment shall be bound to furnish without unnecessary delay to the nearest Forest Officer or Police Officer, any information he may pmsess respec- ting the occurrence of a fire m or near such forest, or the commission of, .. 28 or intention to commit any forest offence, and shall forthwith take steps, whether required by any Forest Officer or Police Office or not- ( a) to extmguish any fire in such forest of which he has know· ledge or information ; (b) to prevent by any lawful means in his power any fire in the vicimty of such forest of which he has knowledge or mfm mation from spreading to such forest and shall assist any Forest Officer or Police Officer demanding his aid; (c) m preventing the commission in such forest of any forest offence ; and (d) when there is reann to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest in discovering and arresting the offender. (2) Any person who behg bound so to do, without lawful excuse, the burden of proving which shall be up:m such person, fails- (a) to furnish with:mt unnecessary delay t:> the neare•t Forest Officer or Police Offi:er any infJrm1tbn rqutre:l by sub-section (I) ; (b) to take steps as re:pired by sub-section (I), to extinguish any forest fire in a Reserved Forest ; (c) to prevent as required by sub-section (I) any fire in the vicinity of such forest from spreading to such forest ; or (d) to assist any Forest Officer or Police Officer demanding his aid in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest offence, or, when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been com· m1tted in such forest, in discovering and arrestmg the offender, shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees. CHAPTER III Protection of land at the disposal of Government not included in Reserved Forests