(1)The [State] [Substituted by A.L.O.] 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 Section 61 or Section 62, a sum of money by way of compensation for the offence such person is suspected to have committed; and(b)when any property has been seized as liable to confiscation, to release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by such officer and to deal with any amount so paid for offences (not suspected to have been committed by the landlord) in respect of a private protected forest or the forest-produce, thereof as proceeds of confiscation relating to the forest for the purposes of clause (b) of Section (3) of Section 42.(2)On the payment of such sum of money, or such value or both, as the case may be, to such officer, the suspected person, if in custody, shall be discharged, the property, if any, seized shall be released, and no further proceedings shall be taken against such person or property.(3)A Forest Officer shall not be empowered under this Section if he is of a rank inferior to that of a Gazetted Officer and the sum of money accepted as compensation under clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall in no case exceed the sum of fifty rupees.
