Section 17A in The M.P. Tendu Patta (Vyapar Viniyaman) Adhiniyam, 1964
17A. [ Power to compound offences. [Inserted by M.P. Act No. 1 of 2008.]
(1)The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, empower a Forest Officer-(a)to accept from any person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed any offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder, a sum of money by way of compensation for the offence which such person is suspected to have committed; and(b)when any property has been seized is liable to confiscation, to release the same at any time before an order of confiscation is passed by the Appropriate Authority, on payment of the value thereof as estimated by such officer.(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 proceeding shall be taken against such person or property.(3)A Forest Officer shall not be empowered under this section unless he is a Forest Officer of a rank not inferior to that of a Ranger and the sum of money accepted as compensation under clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall not be exceeding ten times the value of the tendu leaves :Provided that in case the tendu leaves in respect of which an offence has been committed is not the property of the Government or in case the value of the tendu leaves is less than one thousand rupees and (in addition), if the offender has committed the offence for the first time, the suspected person may be discharged and the property, if any, seized may be released on payment of the sum of ten thousand rupees or the value of the seized property (other than the tendu leaves) whichever is less; the seized tendu leaves may be released if not the property of the Government or on the payment of the value thereof, as the case may be.]
