(1) Any Forest Officer empowered by the State Government in this behalf may accept from any person whose licence is liable to be revoked or suspended under Sub-section (5) of Sec. 7 or who is reasonably suspected of having committed, for the first time, an offence relating to non-submission of return under Sec. 9 or non-maintenance of account of wood under Sub-section
(1) of Sec. 10 or sawing of wood unlawfully obtained which is of less than half a cubic meter in volume, a sum not exceeding five thousand rupees in lieu of such revocation or suspension, or by way of composition for each such offence, as the case may be and may impose as a penalty a sum not exceeding five thousand rupees and shall order confiscation of unlawfully obtained wood which was seized.
(2) On the payment of such sum of money to the Forest Officer, the accused person if in custody shall be discharged and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person.
20. "The Licensing Officers and every person duly authorised to discharge any duties imposed on him by or under this Act shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of Sec. 21 of the Indian Penal Code, 45 of 1860.
21. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the State Government or any Officer or person or authority for anything, or for any damage caused or likely to be caused by anything, which is in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or the Rules or any order made thereunder.
22. The Court or the licensing officer, as the case may be, may by order, permit giving of reward in the shape of an amount which is not more than onefourth of the amount of fine and/ or of the value of the property forfeited and/ or confiscated, to such person or persons whose information has indisputably led Jurisdiction of Court Composition of Offences Licensing officers, etc., to be Public Servants Protection of Action taken in Good Faith Rewards 45 of 1860.
8 to the detection of the contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or the rules.