(1)Every person who exercises any right in a reserved forest, or who is permitted to take any forest produce from or to cut and remove timber or to pasture cattle in, such forest; andevery person who is employed by any such person in such forest; andevery village officer or person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed by the Government;shall be bound to furnish without delay to the nearest forest officer or police officer in-charge of the nearest police station any information he may possess respecting the occurrences of a fire in, or near, such forest, or the commission for or intention to commit any forest offence; and shall forthwith take steps, whether so required by the forest officer or police officer or not-(a)to extinguish any such fire of which he has knowledge or information;(b)to prevent any such fire from spreading and shall assist any forest officer or police officer demanding his aid -(i)in preventing the commission in such forest of 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.
