Section 22 in United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Management and Control of Forests) Act, 1958
22. Custody of seized property when offender is not known or absconds.
(1)When the offender is not known or cannot be found, the magistrate enquiring into the offence, if he finds that an offence has been committed, may, on application in this behalf, order the property in respect of which the offence has been committed to be confiscated and taken possession of by a Forest Officer specially empowered in this behalf, or to be made over to such Forest Officer or other person as the magistrate may consider fit or entitled to the same :Provided that no such order shall be made till the may expiry of one month from the date of the seizure of such property, or without hearing the person, if any, claiming any right thereto, and the evidence, if any, which he may produce in support of his claim.(2)The magistrate shall either cause a notice of any application under sub-section (1) to be served upon any person whom he has reason to believe to be interested in property seized, or publish such notice in any way which he may think fit.
