Person bound to assist Forest Officer and Police Officer

(1) Every person who exercises any right in a reserved forest or village forest, or who is permitted to remover any forest produce from, or to pasture cattle, or practice jhum cultivations in such forest, and every person who is employed by 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 which he may possess respecting the occurrence of a fire in or near such forest, or the omission of or intention to commit, any forest offence, and shall assist any Forest Officer or Police Officer demanding his aid - (a) in extinguishing any fire occurring in such forest; (b) in preventing any fire which may occur in the vicinity of such forest from spreading to such forest; (c) in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest officer; and (d) when there is person 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 lie 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 or protected 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 punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to Rs. 200, or with both.