Investing Forest Officers with powers

The Government may invest any Forest Officer not below the rank of an Assistant Conservator of Forests with all or any of the following powers, and may withdraw the same: (a) power to enter upon any land and to survey, demarcate and make a map of the same; (b) powers of a Forest Settlement Officer; (c) powers of a Civil Court to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents; (d) power to hold inquiries into forest offences and, in the course of such inquiries, to receive and record evidence and to issue search-warrants which may be executed in the manner provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898; (e) power to accept compensation for forest offences under section 68 of this Act. Any evidence recorded under clause (d) of this section shall be admissible in any subsequent trial of the alleged offender before a Magistrate; provided that it has been taken in the presence of the accused person and recorded in the manner provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.