79. Persons bound to assist forest officers and police officers.
(1)Every person who exercises any right in a reserved or protected forest, or who is permitted to take any forest-produce from, or to cut and remove timber or to pasture cattle in, such forest, and every person who is employed by any such person in such forest, andevery person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed by the Government or who receives emoluments from the Government for services to be performed to the community,shall be bound to furnish without unnecessary delay to the nearest forest officer or police officer any information he may possess respecting the commission of, or intention to commit, any forest-offence, and shall forthwith take steps, whether so required by any forest officer or police officer or not,-(a)to extinguish any forest fire in such forest of which he has knowledge or information;(b)to prevent by any lawful means in Iris power any fire in the vicinity of such forest of which he has knowledge or information from spreading to such forest;and shall assist any forest officer or police officer demanding his aid-(c)in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest-offence; and(d)when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender.(2)Any person who, being bound so to do, without lawful excuse (the burden of proving which shall lie upon such person) fails-(a)to furnish without unnecessary delay to the nearest forest officer or police officer any information required by sub-section (1);(b)to take steps as required by sub-section (1) to extinguish any forest fire in a reserved or protected forest;(c)to prevent, as required by sub-section (1), any fire in the vicinity of such forest from spreading to such forest; or(d)to assist any forest officer or police officer demanding his aid in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest-offence, or, when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender;shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may [extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees,] [Substituted by Section 16 of M.P. Act No. 9 of 1965.] or with both.
