62. Government may invest forest officers with certain powers.
(1)(a)The Government may, by notification and subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified therein, invest any forest officer not below the rank of a Ranger with all or any of the following powers, namely:-(i)to enter upon any land and to survey, demarcate and make a map of the same:Provided that no such demarcation shall take away or abridge the right of any person in or over the land;(ii)to hold inquiries into forest offences, and in the course of such inquiries to receive and record evidence;(iii)to accept compensation for forest offences under section 59;(b)The Government may by notification invest any forest officer not below the rank of [a Forest Range Officer] [Substituted by Act No.35 of 1997.] with all or any of the following powers, namely:-(i)power of a civil court to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and material objects;(ii)to search or to issue a search warrant which may be executed in the manner provided in the [Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898] [See now the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974)].(2)The Government may, in like manner, withdraw any powers invested under sub-section (1).(3)Any evidence recorded under item (ii) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall be admissible in any subsequent trial of the alleged offender before a Magistrate, if it has been taken in the presence of the accused person and recorded in the manner provided by [section 355, section 356 or section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898] [See now section 274, section 275 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974).].
