Section 16 in West Bengal Trees (Protection and Conservation in Non-Forest Areas) Act, 2006
16. Compounding of offence.
(1) Any offence, which has been committed and is punishable under this Act, may either before or after institution of the prosecution, be compounded by such officer, and for such amount not exceeding ten thousand rupees, as the State Government may by notification in the Official Gazette, specify :Provided that such net present value of timber, as may be prescribed by rules considering the importance of timber, may also be recovered from the offender.(2)Where an offence has been compounded under sub-section (1), the offender, if in custody, shall be discharged and no further proceeding shall be taken against him in respect of such offence and the property seized under this Act shall be released.(3)The compounding of an offence under sub-section (1) shall be allowed only in respect of the first offence committed by any person and no such compounding shall be made for any subsequent offence committed by the same person.
