Forest

“(3) No prosecution for an offence under this section shall be instituted expect with the written sanction of the conservator of forests the deputy conservator of forests an Assistants conservator of forests, or a Divisional forest officer.”.

40A. The provisions of section 306 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979, Shall not apply to, or in relation to, any person who pleads guilty to, or is found guilty of, a forest offence. “.

49A. Any person who threatens, intimidates, assaults or obstructs or in any way or interferes with a forest officer, police officer or any other officer authorized to act in that Behalf in the exercise, performance and discharge of his powers, duties and functions under this Ordinance shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment of either description for a term not less than three years and not exceeding seven years or to a fine not less than two thousand rupees and not exceeding five thousand rupees, or to both such fine and imprisonment:

Provided that a prosecution shall not be instituted under this section, except with the sanction of an officer not below the rank Divisional Forest Office Govern Superintendent of Police.”

“(2) Every officer making an arrest under this section shall with out unnecessary delay take or send the person arrested to the nearest police station in the division before the divisional together with the statement showing in the offence with which the accused is charged. The officer-in charge of the police station of the divisional revenue officer shall without unnecessary delay take or send the person arrested to the nearest magistrate:

Provided however that where the arrest of any person under this section is made by a forester or a range forest officer such person may be produced before the nearest magistrate by such forester or the range forest officer if he is of opinion that undue delay is likely to be caused if such person is to be produced before the magistrate through the officer in charge of the police station or the divisional revenue officer.”.

“(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), the Minister may authorize

and any such employee or officer shall while engaged in the performance of these functions be deemed to be a forest officer. “.

“(c) to provide for the payment into such fund of the whole or part of sums received in composition of offences under this ordinance and awards made under the informers Reward ordinance to informers in case of such offences, and such other contributions as may be specified in the regulation of rewards to informers and the forest officers, of compensation for bodily injury caused to forests officers police officers in the exercise performance and discharge of their powers, duties and functions under this Ordinance, or when death results from such inquiry, of compensation to their heirs , of traveling expenses properly incurred by witnesses in attending court for the purposes of giving evidence for carrying on raids to abate illicit fellings of , and illicit transport of, timber and of expenses incurred in forest protection activities including the conduct of training programmes for forest officers enabling them to carry out their functions efficiently under this Ordinance.”.