Indian Forest Act, 1927
68. Power
to compound offences . –
(1) The State Government may, by notification
in the Official Gazette, empower a Forest officer -
a) to accept from any person against whom a reasonable suspicion
exists that he has committed any forest-offence, other than an offence
specified in section 62 or section 63, a sum of money by way of compensation
for the offence which such person is suspected to have committed, and
b) when any property has been seized as liable to confiscation,
to release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by such
officer.
(2) On the payment of such sum of money, or
such value, or both, as the case may be, to such officer, the suspected person,
if in custody, shall be discharged, the property, if any seized shall be
released, and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person or
property.
(3) 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 and is in receipt of a monthly salary amounting to at least one
hundred rupees, and the sum of money accepted as compensation under clause (a)
of sub-section (1) shall in no case exceed the sum of fifty rupees.