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 should the account given by the possessor be manifestly false or suspicious, may detain such article after giving to the possessor a receipt in the prescribed form and report the facts to a Metropolitan Magistrate who shall thereupon proceed according to the provisions of sections 457, 458 and 459 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).

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