Persons bound to assist Forest Officers and Police Officers and duties of such officers :

(1) Every person who exercises any right in a reserved or protected forest, or who is permitted to take any forest produce or to cut and remove timber from 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 with due despatch 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 so required by any Forest Officer or the Police Officer or not — (a) to extinguish any forest fire in such forest of which he has knowledge or information; and (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— (i) in preventing commission in such forest any forest offence; and (ii) 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, fails — (a) to furnish without necessary delay to the nearest Forest Officer or Police Officer any information as 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 any forest offence, or when there is reason to be believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender; shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees. (3) On receipt of any such information as is referred to in Sub-Section (1) the Forest Officer or Police Officer, as the case may be, shall forthwith take such action as may be appropriate in the circumstances.