(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 or 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.
