Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

54. Power to compound offence

(1) ⁶⁹[The Central Government may, by notification, empower the Director of Wild Life Preservation or any other officer and the State Government] may, by notification, empower the Chief Wild Life Warden or any officer of a rank not inferior to that of a Deputy Conservator of Forests,-

(a) to accept, from any person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed an offence against this Act, payment of a sum of money by way of composition of the offence which such person is suspected to have committed; and

(b) when any property has been seized is liable to be forfeited, to release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by such officer.

(2) On 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, and the property, other than Government property, if any, seized, shall be released and no further proceedings in respect of the offence shall be taken against such person.

(3) The officer compounding any offence may order the cancellation of any license or permit granted under this Act to the offender, or if not empowered to do so, may approach an officer so empowered, for the cancellation of such license or permit.

(4) The sum of money accepted or agreed to be accepted as composition under clause (b) of sub-section (1) shall, in no case, exceed the sum of two thousand rupees:

Provided that no offence, for which a minimum period of imprisonment has been prescribed in sub-section (1) of section 51, shall be compounded.

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