Section 66: Power to prevent commission of offence

Every Forest-officer and Police-officer shall prevent, and may interfere for the purpose of preventing, the commission of any forest-offence.

State amendments to this section

Maharashtra

Insertion of new section 66A in Act 16 of 1927.—After section 66 of the principal Act, the following section shall be inserted, namely:—

66A. Punishment for abetment—Whoever abets any forest-offence shall, if the offence abetted is committed in consequence of abetment, be punished with the same punishment as is provided for such offence,.

[Vide Maharashtra Act 21 of 2015, s. 16].

Uttar Pradesh

Insertion of new section 66-A—

66-A. Penalty for not preventing commission of forest offence—Whoever, being a Forest Officer or Police Officer, bound under section 66 to prevent commission of any forest offence, intentionally or knowingly, neglects or omits to prevent or abets, the commission of such offence, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both."]

[Vide Uttar Pradesh Act 1 of 2001, s. 15]].

Maharashtra.—

Amendment of section 66 of Act XVI of 1927.—In section 66 of the principal Act, for the words "Every Forest Officer and Police Officer" the words "Every Forest Officer, Police Officer and Revenue Officer" shall be substituted.

[Vide Maharashtra Act VI of 1961, s. 12].

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 66

No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.