Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Any Forest-officer of a rank not inferior to that of a Ranger, who, or whose subordinate, has arrested any per- son under the provisions of section 46, may release such person on his executing a bond to appear, if and when so required, before the Magistrate having jurisdiction in the case or before· the officer-in-charge of the nearest police- station. 48, Every Forest-officer and Police-officer shall· prevent, and may interfere fr the purpose· of preventing, the com- mission of a.ny forest-offence. The West Bengal Prate Forests Act,· 1948, 23 XIV of 1948.] (Cha4ten IV.-Penalties and Procedure.Sections 4651.) 46, (1) Any Forest-officer or Police-officer may, with-; Power ilo out orders from a Magistrate and without a warrant, arrest srrest a.nv person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists of 7ho"}; h . • h · b d · f 1 :ff · h bl · wa.rran · 1s avmng een concerne 1 any ores-o ence pun1s a O . wan imprisonment for one month or upwards under this A.ct. · (2) Every officer making an arrest under this section shall, without unnecessary delay and subject to the provi- sions of this Act as to· release, on bond, take or send the person arrested before the Magistrate having jurisdiction in the case or to the. officer-in-charge of the nearest police- station. · . Act V o£ 1898. Power to compound offences. Power of Court to order pay- ment of rewards out of fine. . t 50, Whenever a Court imposes a fine under this Act or confirms in appeal under this .A.ct a sentence of fine or a sentence of which fine forms a part, for a forest-offence other than an offence specified in sub-section (1) of &\3Ction 6 or section 44, the Court may, when passing judgment, order any portion of the fine recovered to be paid to the person whose information led to the detection of the offence. 51, (1) The Provincial Government may, by notifica- tion, empower a Forest-officer- . (a) to accept from any person against whom a reason- able suspicion exists that he has committed any forest-offence, other than an offence specified in sub-section (2) of section 6, section 44 or section 45, a sum of money, not exceeding fifty rupees, by way of compensation for the offence which such person is suspected to have committed; and (b) when any property of such person has been seized, to release the same. ,.2) On the payment of such sum of money to such officer, the suspected person, if in custody, shall be dis- charged, the property, if any, of such person seized shall be released. and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person or property. Onus of proof. 24 The West Bengal Prate Forests Act, 1948. [ West B_engal Act . (Chapter IV.-Penalties and Procedure.Chapten V. Regional Forest-officers.Sections 5254.) (3) I the forest-offence has been committed in respect of a controlled forest, the amount of any compensation paid to a Forest-officer empowered under sub-section (Z) to accept such compensation, or such part of such amount as the Forest-officer deems equitable in the circumstances, may, at. the discretion of the Forest-officer, be paid to the owner of the controlled forest; but the amount of anv compensation ·not so paid to the owner of a controlled· forest and the amount of any compensation paid to such a Forest-officer if . the forest-offence has been committed in respect of a vested forest shall be paid into the revenues of the Province. (4) A Forest-officer shall not be empowered under this section unless he is a Forest-officer of a rank not inferior to that of a Ranger. 52, Notwithstanding . anything contained in any other Act, when in any area in respect of which the Provincial Government has. made rules under clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 41 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, any person XVI of is found to be moving forest-produce without a pass from an