Section-22

Persons bound to assist forest officer and police officer

1.i) Every person who exercises any right in a reserved forest, or who is permitted to take any forest produce from or to cut and remove timber or to pasture cattle in, such forest; and 

ii) every person who is employed by any such person in         such forest; and
 

iii) every village officer or person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed  by the Government; 

shall be bound to furnish without delay to the nearest forest officer or police officer- incharge of the nearest police station any information he may possess respecting the  occurrences of a fire in, or near, such forest, or the commission for or intention to  commit any forest offence; and shall forthwith take steps, whether so required by the  forest officer or police officer or not –
 

(a) to extinguish any such fire of which he has knowledge or information; 

(b) to prevent any such fire from spreading and shall assist any forest officer or  police officer demanding his aid – 

(i) in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest offence; and  

(ii) when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been  committed in such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender. 

(2)Whoever, without lawful excuse, falls to comply with the provisions of sub-section-(1) shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to  one month or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees or with both.