Power to compound offences

(1) Any Forest Officer specially empowered in this behalf may accept from any person reasonable suspected of having committed any forest offence other than an offence under section 50 or section 52 a sum of money by way of compensation for the offence which may have been committed; and where any property has been seized as liable to confiscation, may release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by such officer.

(2) on the payment of such sum of money or such value or both as the case may be to such officer the accused person, if in custody, shall be discharged, the property seized shall be released, and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person or property.

(3) Nothing contained in sub-sections (1) and (2) shall apply to any offence in respect of :

(a) any sandalwood, where the weight of such sandalwood involved in such offence is more than one hundred kilograms; and

(b) any scheduled timber (other than sandalwood) where the value of such scheduled timber involved in such offence is more than ten thousand years.