Section 51 in The West Bengal Private Forests Act, 1948.
51. Power to compound offences.
(1)The [State] [Word substituted for the word 'Provincial' by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950.] Government may, by notification empower a Forest-officer -(a)to accept from any person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed any forest-offence, other than an offence specified in sub-section (1) of section 6, section 44 or section 45, a sum of money, not exceeding fifty rupees, by way of compensation for the offence which such person is suspected to have committed; and(b)when any property of such person has been seized, to release the same.(2)On the payment of such sum of money to such officer, the suspected person, if in custody, shall be discharged, the property, if any, of such person seized shall be released, and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person or property.(3)If the forest-offence has been committed in respect of a controlled forest, the amount of any compensation paid to a Forest-officer empowered under sub-section (1) to accept such compensation, or such part of such amount as the Forest-officer deems equitable in the circumstances, may, at the discretion of the Forest-officer, be paid to the owner of the controlled forest; but the amount of any compensation not so paid to the owner of acontrolled forest and the amount of any compensation paid to such a Forest-officer if the forest-offence has been committed in respect of a vested forest shall be paid into the revenues of the [State] [Word substituted for the word 'Provincial' by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950.].(4)A Forest-officer shall not be empowered under this section unless he is a Forest-officer of a rank not inferior to that of a Ranger.
