Composition of offences

(1) Any offence punishable under section 24. section 25, section 26, section 28, section 29, section 33, or section 35 other than a second or a subsequent offence under section 24 or section 26 may either before or after the institution of the prosecution, be compounded by the State Government on payment of such sum as the State Government thinks fit. (2) On payment by the offender of such sum, the offender, if in custody, shall be set at liberty and if any proceedings in any criminal court have been instituted against the offender in respect of the offence the composition shall be deemed to amount to an acquittal and no further criminal proceedings shall be taken against him in respect of such offence.