Section 63: Penalty for counterfeiting or defacing marks on trees and timber and for altering boundary-marks

Whoever, with intent to cause damage or injury to the public or to any person, or to cause wrongful gain as defined in the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860),—

(a) knowingly counterfeits upon any timber or standing tree a mark used by Forest-officers to indicate that such timber or tree is the property of the [Government] or of some person, or that it may lawfully be cut or removed by some person; or

(b) alters, defaces or obliterates any such mark placed on a tree or on timber by or under the authority of a Forest-officer; or

(c) alters, moves, destroys or defaces any boundary-mark of any forest or waste-land to which the provisions of this Act are applied,

shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

State amendments to this section

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (UTs).—

Section 63.—For the words, "or with fine", substitute the words "or with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees".

[Vide the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, notification No. S.O. 1123(E) dated (18-3-2020) and Vide Union Territory of Ladakh Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, notification No. S.O.3774(E), dated (23-10-2020).]

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 63

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