Section 401(a) in Police Regulations, Bengal , 1943
(a)History sheets shall contain a short account of the life of the person to whom they relate and all facts likely to have a bearing on his criminal history. They shall be opened only for persons, who are, or are likely to become, habitual criminals or the aiders or abettors of such criminals. The conviction of a person for a heinous offence, such as robbery, dacoity, serious burglary or receiving stolen property, will ordinarily be sufficient to justify the opening of a history sheet, unless there be reason to believe that although convicted of one of these offences, the man is not a habitual criminal. For instance, a history sheet would not be opened for a man who, though convicted of housebreaking, is believed to have committed the offence in order to carry on an intrigue with a woman and not for the purpose of theft. On the other hand, if a person is suspected of being a receiver of stolen property, or of being concerned of systematic cattle theft, history sheet shall be begun, even if he has not been convicted. History sheets shall not be prepared for persons dealt with as first offenders under section 562, Code of Criminal Procedure. Proceedings under section 110 of that Code, shall ordinarily not be taken until a history sheet establishes a case of bad livelihood. But if security has, in any case, been demanded from a person under section 109 or 110, Code of Criminal Procedure, before the preparation of a history sheet, such a sheet shall at once be opened.
