56A. [ Punishment for habitual offence. [Inserted by Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1979 (Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1979).]
- In respect of any offence relating to any scheduled timber, any person who is found by the Magistrate to be the habitual offender, such person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, but which shall not be less than [three years] [Sub-section (3) was substituted by Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1992 (Tamil Nadu Act 44 of 1992). Before it is substituted it was added by the Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1979 (Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1979). The said sub-section (3), read as follows:] and with fine which may extend to [twenty thousand rupees] [Substituted for the expressions 'two years', 'ten thousand rupees' and 'three thousand rupees', respectively by Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1992 (Tamil Nadu Act 44 of 1992).], but which shall not be less than [fifteen thousand rupees] [Substituted for the expressions 'two years', 'ten thousand rupees' and 'three thousand rupees', respectively by Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1992 (Tamil Nadu Act 44 of 1992).].Explanation. - For the purpose of this section, 'habitual offender' means a person, who before or after the date of publication of the Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 1979 (Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1979) in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette has been sentenced to a substantive term of imprisonment (such sentence not having been set aside in appeal or revision) for not less than three occasions for any offence relating to any scheduled timber, each of the subsequent sentence having been passed in respect of such offence relating to any scheduled timber committed after the passing of the sentence on the previous occasions.
