Suspension of rights in Reserved Forests

Whenever fire is caused wilfully or by negligence in a Reserved Forest, the Government may, notwithstanding that any penalty has been inflicted under section 27, direct that in such forest or any portion thereof the exercise of all rights of pasture or to forest produce shall be suspended for such period as they think fit. (1) Every person who exercises any right in a Reserved Forest or who is permitted to take any forest produce from, or to cut and remove timber or to pasture cattle in, such forest, and every person who is employed by any such person in such forest, and every person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed by the Government or who receives emoluments from the Government for services to be performed to the community, shall be bound to furnish without unnecessary delay to the nearest Forest Officer or Police Officer any information he may possess respecting the commission of, or the intention to commit any forest offence, and shall forthwith take steps, whether required by any Forest Officer or Police Office or not— (a) to extinguish any fire in such forest of which he has knowledge or information; (b) to prevent by any lawful means in his power any fire in the vicinity of such forest of which he has knowledge or information from spreading to such forest and shall assist any Forest Officer or Police Officer demanding his aid; (c) in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest offence; and (d) when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest in discovering and arresting the offender. (2) Any person who being bound so to do, without lawful excuse, the burden of proving which shall be upon such person, fails— (a) to furnish without unnecessary delay to the nearest Forest Officer or Police Officer any information required by sub-section (1); (b) to take steps as required by sub-section (1), to extinguish any forest fire in a Reserved Forest; (c) to prevent as required by sub-section (1) any fire in the vicinity of such forest from spreading to such forest; or (d) to assist any Forest Officer or Police Officer demanding his aid in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest offence, or, when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender, shall be punished with fine which may extend to Rs. 200.