354. Action to be taken against bad characters and suspicious strangers under Sarais and Puraos Act (XXII of 1867).
(a)This Act is an effective check upon the movements of bad characters and suspicious strangers who reside in hotels, sarais and lodging-houses and prey upon the public at important, steamer or railway stations, district and Sub-divisional headquarters and other commercial centres. It is also useful as a means of prevention and detection of crime and facilitates the tracing of missing or suspected persons. The sarai-keeper is required under the Bengal Sarais Regulations, 1931, to keep a list of visitors, and literate persons are required to sign their list of visitors, and literate persons are required to sign their names and illiterate ones to gives their thumb impressions in the register. Illiterate sarai-keepers are to be assisted by a literate officer from the police-station.(b)If any person refuses to give information concerning himself or if any suspicion arises against any particular person or persons, the sarai-keeper should be asked to report the fact immediately to the police for enquiry, with a view to the institution of proceedings under section 109, Code of Criminal Procedure, if necessary.(c)Station officers who will, as a rule, be authorized as Inspectors under the Act shall work the provisions of the Act carefully and treat the sarai-keepers with tact, courtesy and consideration.VIII. - Outposts and Patrols.
