Compounding of offence

Compounding of offence. –

1. (1) Forest Officer empowered by the State Government in this behalf may:
   • (a) accept from any person, whose license is liable to be revoked or suspended under clause
   • (c) of sub-section
2. (1) of Section 17 or who is reasonably suspected of having committed for the first time an offence relating to non-submission of return under Section 14 or of non-maintenance of account of stock under Section 15 of this Act or processing of wood/ any other form such as sandal, katha wood, charcoal etc, unlawfully obtained which is less than half a cubic meter in volume, a sum prescribed in the rules made under this Act in lieu of such revocation or suspension or by way of compounding for such offence, as the case may be, and may impose as a penalty a sum prescribed in the rules and shall order confiscation of unlawfully obtained wood and or any other form such as sandal, katha wood, charcoal etc. which was seized.
   • (b) in case any property has been seized as liable to confiscation under section 18 of this Act, at any time before an order of confiscation is passed by the competent authority under this Act, release the same on payment of the value as prescribed in the rules.
3. (2) On the payment of such sum of money, or such value, or both, as the case may be, to the forest officer, the accused person, if in custody, shall be discharged, the property seized shall be released, and no further proceeding shall be taken against such person or in relation to such property.
4. (3) The provision of this section shall not apply to the Wood Based Industry operating without a valid license.