Amendment of section 52

In section 52 of the principal Act--

1. (i) in sub-section (1), for the words "carts or cattle" the words "vehicles, cattle, ropes, chains or other articles" shall be substituted;
2. (ii) for sub-section (2), the following sub-sections shall be substituted, namely-- "(2) Any Forest Officer or Police Officer may, if he has reason to believe that a boat or vehicle has been, or is being, used for the transport of any forest produce in respect of which a forest offence has been, or is being, committed, require the driver or other person in charge of such boat or vehicle to stop it, and he may detain such boat or vehicle for such reasonable time as is necessary to examine the contents in such boat or vehicle and to inspect the records relating to the goods transported so as to ascertain the claims, if any, of the driver or other person in-charge of such boat or vehicle regarding the ownership and legal origin of the forest produce in question.

1. (3) Every officer seizing any property under this section shall place on such property a mark indicating that the same has been so seized and shall, as soon as may be, make a report of such seizure to the Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the offence on account of which the seizure has been made, and if the seizure is in respect of forest produce which is the property of the State Government, shall also make a report to the authorised officer."