Chapter VI PENALTIES

Whoever forcibly opposes the seizure of cattle liable to be seized under this Act, and whoever rescues the same after seizure, either from a pound or from any person taking or about to take them to a pound, such person being near at hand and acting under the powers conferred under this Act, shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a period which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both.

(1) Any owner or keeper of cattle, who through neglect or otherwise damages or causes or permits to be damaged any land or any crop or produce of land, or any public road, and other properties mentioned in section 8 by allowing such cattle to trespass thereon, shall, on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to fifty rupees. (2) The magistrate trying an offence under sub-section (1) may order- (a) that the accused shall pay such compensation not exceeding two hundred and fifty rupees as the magistrate considers reasonable to any person for any damage proved to have been caused to his crop or other produce on land by the accused committing the offence; and (b) that the cattle in respect of which the offence has been committed shall be forfeited to the State Government. (3) Any compensation awarded under sub-section (2) may be recovered as if it were a fine imposed under this section. (4) The State Government, may, by notification, with respect to any local area specified in such notification, direct that this section shall be read as if the words "imprisonment for a period which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both" were substituted for the words "fine which may extend to fifty rupees". (5) The offences under section 24 and section 25 shall be cognizable.

Notwithstanding anything contained in any law, any fine imposed under section 25 or for the offence of mischief by causing cattle to trespass on any land under section 426 of the Indian Penal Code may be recovered by sale of all or any of the cattle by which the trespass was committed whether they were seized in the act of trespassing or not, and whether they are the property of the person convicted of the offence, or were only in his charge when the trespass was committed.

Any pound-keeper releasing or purchasing or delivering cattle contrary to the provisions of section 19, or failing to perform any of the other duties imposed upon him by this Act, shall, in addition to any other penalty to which he may be liable, be punished, on conviction with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.

All fines recovered under section 25, section 26 or section 27, may be appropriated in whole or in part as compensation for loss or damage caused to the crops or other produce or the land of any person or any person and proved to the satisfaction of the convicting magistrate.