Government may invest Forest Officers with certain power

The Government may invest any Forest Officer by name, or as holding an office, with the following g powers (that is to say): (a) the power of a settlement-officer under the Tamilnadu Boundaries Act, No.XXVIII of 1860): (b) the powers of a Civil Court to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents; (c) power to hold inquiries into forest offences, and in the course of such inquires to receive and record evidence, and to issue search-warrants which may be executed in the manner provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure; (d) power to accept compensation for forest offence under section 55 and may withdraw and powers so conferred. Any evidence recorded under clause ( c) of this section shall be admissible in any subsequent trial before a Magistrate of the alleged offender : Provided That it has been taken in the presence of the accused person, and recorded in the manner provided by section 333, section 334 or section 335 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.