(1) Any person whose property catches fire on account of his own act or of his agent, done deliberately or negligently, shall be liable to pay compensation to any other person suffering damage to his property on account of any action taken under section 18 by any officer mentioned therein or any person acting under the authority of such officer.
(2) All claims under sub-section (1) shall be referred to the Appellate Authority within a period of thirty days from the date on which damage was caused.
(3) The Appellate Authority, shall, after giving the party an opportunity of being heard, determine the amount of compensation and pass an order fixing the liability of the person for such default and the amount of compensation to be paid by him.
(4) The order passed under sub-section (3) shall have the force of decree of a civil court and shall be implemented within thirty days from the date of receipt of the order.
45. Any person, legally bound to communicate information in his possession regarding an outbreak of fire, fails to communicate the said information, without reasonable justification, shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under clause (a) of section 211 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
46. Whoever fails, without reasonable cause, to comply with any of the requirements specified in the notification issued under sub-section (1) of section 25, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both and where the offence is a continuing one, with a further fine which may extend to one thousand rupees for each day after the first day during which such offence continues.
47. Any person, who wilfully obstructs or interferes with any member of the Fire and Emergency Service while discharging his duty, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both.
Penalty in case of non-appointment of Fire Safety Officers.
Liability of property owner to pay compensation.
Failure to give information.
Punishment for failure to take precautions.
Penalty for wilfully obstructing firefighting, rescue operations.
16 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY [Part II— 16 Penalty for giving false report.
Punishment for furnishing false certificate.
Penalty for contravention of provisions of Regulation, where no punishment has been provided.
Offences by companies.
Compounding of offences.
48. Any person who knowingly gives or causes to be given a false report of the outbreak of a fire to any person authorised to receive such report, by means of a statement, message or otherwise, shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees.
49. If any qualified agency referred to in sub-section (5) of section 29 furnishes false certificate or declaration that maintenance of fire prevention and life safety measures as specified in sub-section (1) of section 25 or as required under sub-section (2) of section 26 have been complied, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was in-charge of, and responsible for the agency and the conduct of the business of the agency, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and liable for punishment:
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
50. Whoever contravenes any provision of this Regulation or of any rule made or notification issued thereunder, for which no punishment or penalty has been provided shall, without prejudice to any other action taken against him under this Regulation or the rules made thereunder, be liable to a penalty which may extend to ten thousand rupees and where the contravention is a continuing one, with a further penalty which may extend to one thousand rupees for every day after the first day during which such contravention continues.