Section 68: Power to compound offences and impose penalties.

The Indian Forest Act, 1927Central Act · Act 16 of 1927

(1) The [State Government] may, by notification in the [Official Gazetted], 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 [ ; or]

[(aa) to accept from any person a sum of money by way of penalty or compensation for violation of sub-section (1A) of section 26 or sub-section (1A) of section 33; 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.

Where this provision sits

Act	The Indian Forest Act, 1927
Section	68
Marginal note	Power to compound offences and impose penalties.
Jurisdiction	Central
Status	In force as published by the source
Judgments citing it	1

How this provision has been amended

Taken from the footnotes printed with the provision by the source. Where a footnote names the amending instrument, it is quoted as printed.

substituted. . Subs. by the A.O. 1950, for "Provincial Government".
substituted. . Subs. by the A.O. 1937, for "Local Official Gazette".
substituted, Act 18 of 2023. . Subs. by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and Schedule for ", and" (w.e.f. 15-11-2023).
inserted. . Ins. by s. 2 and Schedule, ibid. (w.e.f. 15-11-2023).

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