Chapter III IMPOUNDING CATTLE

(1) Any person authorised by the State Government in this behalf, or any member of the watch and ward staff of a Village or Town panchayat, may seize or cause to be seized any cattle trespassing on any land in a village and doing damage to such land or to any crop or produce thereon. (2) (i) The cultivator or occupier of any land, or (ii) any person who has advanced money for the cultivation of the crop or produce of any land, or (iii) the vendee or the mortgagee of the crop or produce of any land or of any part of such crop or produce, may seize or cause to be seized any cattle trespassing on such land and doing damage thereto or to any crop or produce thereon. (3) Cattle seized or caused to be seized under sub-section (1) or (2) shall be sent within twenty-four hours of the seizure to the pound established for the village or area in which the land is situated or such other pound as the District Magistrate may specify in this behalf.

Whenever any cattle are found straying on or doing damage to public roads, parks, pleasure grounds, orchards, plantations, canals, drainage works, embankments, or the sides or slopes of such roads, parks, grounds, orchards, plantations, canals, drainage works and embankments and the like, persons in charge of such roads, parks, grounds, orchards, plantations, canals, drainage works, embankments and the like, or any officer of police, may seize or cause to be seized such cattle and shall send them or cause them to be sent within twenty-four hours of the seizure to the nearest pound.

Whenever there is resistance or likelihood of resistance to a seizure under section 7 or 8 or the likelihood of the cattle seized being attempted to be rescued from persons making such seizure, the person seizing or causing the seizure of the cattle may require the aid of the police in preventing such resistance or rescue and any officer of police shall, when so required, render the aid necessary.

(1) For every cattle impounded under this Act, the pound-keeper shall levy a fine in accordance with the scale for the time being fixed by notification by the State Government in this behalf and the State Government may fix different scales for different areas of the State in which the pounds are located : Provided that it shall be lawful for the State government to fix progressively increasing scales in respect of cattle belonging to or kept by the same person according to the number of cattle impounded at a time and the number of times such cattle are impounded. (2) All fines levied under sub-section (1) shall be sent by the pound-keeper to the District Magistrate, in the manner prescribed.

A list containing the scale of fines fixed under section 10 in respect of the area in which a pound is located and of the rates of charges for feeding and watering cattle in such pound fixed under section 4 shall be displayed in a conspicuous place in or near such pound.