Act Number: 53

Act Name: The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Year: 1972

Enactment Date: 1972-09-09

Long Title: An Act to provide for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto with a view to ensuring the ecological and environmental security of the country.

Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Department:

Section 55: Cognizance of offences.
    1[55. Cognizance of offences.-- No court shall take cognizance of any offence against this Act on the complaint of any person other than--
         (a) the Director of Wild Life Preservation or any other officer authorised in this behalf by the Central Government; or
         2[(aa) the Member-Secretary, Central Zoo Authority in matters relating to violation of the provisions of Chapter IVA; or]
        3[(ab) Member-Secretary, Tiger Conservation Authority; or]
         (ac) Director of the concerned tiger reserve; or
         4[(ad) the Management Authority or any officer, including an officer of the Wild Life Crime Control Bureau, authorised in this behalf by the Central Government; or]
         (b) the Chief Wild Life Warden, or any other officer authorised in this behalf by the State Government 5[subject to such conditions as may be specified by that Government]; or
         5[(bb) the officer-in-charge of the zoo in respect of violation of provisions of section 38J; or]
         (c) any person who has given notice of not less than sixty days, in the manner prescribed, of the alleged offence and of his intention to make a complaint, to the Central Government or the State Government or the officer authorised as aforesaid.].
                 (b) the Chief Wild Life Warden, or any other officer authorised in this behalf by the State Government 6[subject to such conditions as may be specified by that Government]; or
         7[(bb) the officer-in-charge of the zoo in respect of violation of provisions of section 38J; or]
         (c) any person who has given notice of not less than sixty days, in the manner prescribed, of the alleged offence and of his intention to make a complaint, to the Central Government or the State Government or the officer authorised as aforesaid.]
Notes:
1. Subs. by Act 44 of 1991, s. 39, for section 55 (w.e.f. 2-10-1991).
2. Ins. by Act 16 of 2003, s. 33 (w.e.f. 1-4-2003).
3. Ins. by Act 39 of 2006, s. 4 (w.e.f. 4-9-2006).
4. Ins. by Act 18 of 2022, s. 35 (w.e.f. 1-4-2023).
5. Ins. by Act 16 of 2003, s. 33 (w.e.f. 1-4-2003).
7. Ins. by Act 16 of 2003, s. 33 (w.e.f. 1-4-2003).
Previous Section Next Section
Scroll to Top