Punishment for habitual offence

In respect of any offence relating to any scheduled timber, any timber who is found by the Magistrate to be habitual offender, such person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years but which shall not be less than three years and with fine which may extend to Rs. 20,000 but which shall not be less than Rs. 15,000. Explanation : For the purpose of this section, "habitual offender" means a person, who before or after the date of publication of the Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1979 in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette has been sentenced to a substantive term of imprisonment (such sentence not having been set aside in appeal or revision) for not less than three occasions for any offence relating to any scheduled timber, each of the subsequent sentence having been passed in respect of such offence relating to any scheduled timber committed after the passing of the sentence on the previous occasions.