Confiscation of non-government forest produce and carrier vehicles requires prior conviction of the offender.

On February 7, 2012, the Forest Protection Force (FPF) seized three trucks (JK03B-9023, JK13A-4510, and JK13B-4498) owned by the petitioners near Sidhra Bridge, Jammu.

The vehicles were loaded with unfinished willow clefts being transported toward Punjab without the required permits under the Willow (Prohibition on Export) Act.

Following the seizure, the Divisional Forest Officer (Authorized Officer) initiated confiscation proceedings and ordered the forfeiture of the vehicles and clefts on April 4, 2012.

This order was upheld by the Appellate Authority.

After a previous round of litigation where the High Court directed a fresh consideration, the Authorized Officer passed a new order on May 13, 2013, again confiscating the property, which was subsequently upheld by the Appellate Authority on October 24, 2013.

Notably, no criminal FIR was lodged and no criminal prosecution was initiated against the drivers or owners.

The court applied Section 3 of the J&K Willow (Prohibition on Export and Movement) Act, 2000, which prohibits the export of willow without specific government orders.

It further examined Section 26 and Section 28 of the J&K Forest Act, 1987 (made applicable via SRO 308 of 2003).

Section 28 stipulates that timber or forest produce which is not the property of the Government, along with the vehicles used, are liable to confiscation only "upon conviction of the offender".

The court distinguished this from government-owned forest produce where parallel confiscation is permissible, relying on *State of J&K v. Thakur Motors & Anr*.

The court further relied on the principles in *Principal Chief Conservator of Forests v. J. K. Johnson* regarding the protection of property rights under Article 19(1)(g).

The court performed a harmonized construction of the Willow Act and the Forest Act.

It noted that while Section 26 allows for the initiation of confiscation proceedings, Section 28 acts as a proviso for non-government property, strictly mandating a prior conviction.

The court rejected the respondents' reliance on *State of M.P. v. Kallo Bai*, noting that the Madhya Pradesh statutes explicitly allowed for confiscation prior to guilt establishment, whereas the J&K Forest Act contains no such provision for private property.

Since the willow clefts in this case were private goods and not "Government Property," the statutory prerequisite for confiscation—a criminal conviction—was missing.

The court reasoned that allowing confiscation based on mere accusation without a trial would be an unconstitutional encroachment on the owners' fundamental right to carry on trade.

Since there was neither an FIR nor a conviction, the impounded orders were illegal and unsustainable.

The petition was allowed; the impugned orders by the Authorized Officer and Appellate Authority were quashed, and the court ordered the final release of vehicles JK03B-9023, JK13A-4510, and JK13B-4498 in favor of the petitioners.