20. Power to search suspected persons in streets etc.
- When in a street or a place of public resort a person is in possession or suspected to be in possession of any article, which a police officer in good faith suspects to be stolen property, such police officer may search such person and may require an account in relation to any article found in his possession and if the account given by the possessor is manifestly false or suspicious, may detain such article after giving a receipt in the prescribed form and report the facts to a Magistrate having jurisdiction in the matter, who shall, thereupon, proceed according to the provisions of Sections 457, 458 and 459 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
