Indian Forest Act, 1927
79. Persons
bound to assist Forest-officers and Police-officers. –
(1) Every person who exercises any right in a
reserved or protected forest, or who is 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
person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed by the
Government or who receives emoluments from the Government for services to be
performed to the community, shall be bound to furnish without unnecessary delay
to the nearest Forest-officer or Police-officer any information he may possess
respecting the commission of, or intention to commit, any forest-offence, and
shall forthwith take steps, whether so required by any Forest-officer or Police
officer or not, -
a) to extinguish any forest fire in such forest of which he has
knowledge or information;
b) to prevent any
lawful means in his power any fire in the vicinity of such forest of which he
has knowledge or information from spreading to such forest, and shall assist
any Forest-officer or Police officer demanding his aid -
c) in preventing the commission in such forest of any
forest-offence; and
d) when there is reason
to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest in
discovering and arresting the offender.
e) Any person who, being bound so to do, without lawful excuse (the burden of
proving which shall lie upon such person) fails -
f) to furnish without unnecessary delay to the nearest Forest-officer or
Police-officer any information required by sub-section (1);
g) to take steps, as required by sub-section (1), to extinguish any forest fire
in a reserved or protected forest;
h) to prevent, as required by sub-section (1), any fire in the vicinity of such
forest from spreading to such forest; or
i ) 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 committed in
such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender, shall be punishable
with imprisonment for a term which extend to one month, or with fine which may
extend to two hundred rupees, or with both.