(1)When there is reason to believe that a forest offence has been committed in respect of any forest produce, such produce together with all tools, boats, motorised boats, vessels, cattle, carts, rafts, machineries, vehicles, trucks, ropes, chains or any other implements, articles or materials used in the commission of such offence may be seized by any Forest Officer not below the rank of a Forester or any Police Officer not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector of Police.(2)Every Officer, seizing any property under sub-section (1), shall place on such property or the receptacle, if any, in which it is contained, a mark indicating that the same has been so seized and shall, as soon as may be, either produce the property seized before an officer not below the rank of Assistant Conservator of Forests authorised by the State Government in this behalf by the notification in the official Gazette (hereinafter referred to as the 'Authorised Officer') or where it is, having regard to the quantity or the bulk or any other genuine difficulty, not practicable to produce the property seized before the Authorised Officer, or where it is intended to launch prosecution against the offender, immediately make a report of such seizure to the Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the offence of account of which the seizure has been made :Provided that where the forest produce within respect to which such offence is believed to have been committed is the property of the Government and the offender is unknown, it shall be sufficient if the Officer makes, as soon as may be, a report of the circumstances to his official superiors.(3)Any Forest Officer or Police Officer may, if he has reason to believe that a vehicle has been or is being used for the transport of any forest produce in respect of which any forest offence has been committed, require the driver or any other person or persons in-charge of such vehicle to stop the vehicle and cause it to remain stationary as long as may reasonably be necessary to examine the contents in the vehicle and inspect all records relating to the goods carried, which are in possession of such driver or other person in charge of the vehicle.(4)Subject to the provisions of sub-Sections (5) and (6), where the authorised Officer upon production before him of the property seized or upon receipt of a report about seizure as the case may be, and after such personal inspection or verification as he may deem fit and necessary, is satisfied that a forest offence has been committed in respect thereof, he may, by order in writing and for reasons to be recorded therein, confiscate the forest produce so seized together with all tools, vehicles, cattle, trucks, motorised boats, carts, machineries, rafts, vessels, ropes, chains or any other implements or articles used in committing such offence. A copy of the order of confiscation shall, without any undue delay, be forwarded to the Circle Conservator of Forests of the Circle in which the forest produce has been seized and the Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the offence on account of which the seizure has been made.(5)No order confiscating any property shall be made under the preceding provisions unless the authorised officer-(a)sends an intimation in the prescribed form about the initiation of the proceeding for confiscation of property to the Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the offence on account of which the seizure has been made;(b)issue a notice in writing to the person from whom the property is seized, and to any other person who may appear to the authorised officer to have some interest in such property and in cases of motorised boats, vessels, vehicles, trucks, etc., having a registered number to the registered owner thereof;(c)affords to the persons referred to in Clause (b) above a reasonable opportunity of making a representation within such reasonable time as may be specified in the notice, against the proposed confiscation; and(d)gives to the officer effecting the seizure and the person or persons referred to in Clause (b) or (c) above, a reasonable opportunity of being heard on a date or dates to be fixed for the purpose.(6)Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions, no order of confiscation under sub-section (4) of any tools, boats, motorised boats, vessels, cattle, carts, rafts, machineries, vehicles, trucks, ropes, chains, or any other implements, articles (other than timber or forest produce) shall be made if any person referred to in Cl. (b) of sub-section (5) proves to the satisfaction of tire authorised officer that such tools, vehicles, machineries, trucks, vessels, boats, motorised boats, rafts, carts, cattle ropes, chain or any other implements, or articles were used without his knowledge or connivance or abetment, or as the case may be, without his knowledge or connivance or abetment of his servant or agent and that all reasonable and due precautions had been taken against the use of the object aforesaid for the commission of forest offence.
