Section 63 of IFA : Section 63: Penalty For Counterfeiting Or Defacing Marks On Trees And Timber And For Altering Boundary-Marks

Explanation using Example

Imagine a local woodcutter who, wishing to illegally harvest valuable timber from a government reserve, forges a mark on a tree to mimic the official government mark that designates trees cleared for cutting. The woodcutter's intention is to deceive forest officers and make it seem as though the tree is legally sanctioned for removal. If caught, the woodcutter would be prosecuted under Section 63 of The Indian Forest Act, 1927, for knowingly counterfeiting a mark used by Forest officers. The punishment for this offence could be imprisonment, a fine, or both. If this incident took place in Jammu and Kashmir or the Union Territory of Ladakh, the fine could extend up to twenty-five thousand rupees, as per the state amendment.