Section 405 - Interpretation in Chapter XXV.

In this Chapter-

(1) The term "idle person" shall include-

(a) A person who being able wholly or in part to maintain himself or his family wilfully neglects or refuses to do so;

(aa) a person who having been convicted under section 249 or 250 of the Criminal Code commits an offence which would render him liable to be convicted as an idle person;

(b) a person who wanders abroad or places himself in a street or public place to get or gather alms or causes or encourages children to do so unless from age or infinity he is unable to earn his living;

(c) a person who has no settled home and has no ostensible means of subsistence and cannot give a satisfactory account of himself;

(d) a common prostitute behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in a public place or persistently importuning or soliciting persons for the purpose of prostitution;

(e) a person playing at a game of chance for money or money's worth in any public place;

(f) a person who in a street or place of public resort or within sight or hearing of any person therein disturbs the peace by quarrelling or attempting to quarrel or by using any insolent, scurrilous or abusive tenn of reproach;

(g) a person who in a street or place of public resort or within sight or hear-ing of any person therein with the intention of annoying or irritating any person, sings or otherwise utters any scurrilous or abusive songs or words whether any person be particularly addressed therein or not;

(h) a person who in a street or place of public resort is guilty of any riotous, disorderly or insulting behaviour to the obstruction or annoyance of any person lawfully using such street or place or any place in the neighbourhood thereof; and

(i) a person who in a private or enclosed place is guilty of any riotous, disorderly or insulting behaviour to the annoyance of any person law-fully using any place in the neighbourhood thereof.

Explanation

A nomad cannot be convicted because he has no settled home if he has either apparent means of subsistence or gives a satisfactory account of himself.

(2) The tenn "vagabond" shall include-

(a) a person who after being convicted as an idle person commits any of the offences which would render him liable to be convicted as such; again;

(b) any person who is found in possession of housebreaking implements with intent to commit any of the offences defined in sections 343 to 347 inclusive of this Penal Code;

(c) any suspected person or reputed thief who by night frequents or loiters about any shop, warehouse, dwelling-house, dock or wharf with intent to commit any offence under Chapters XVIII or XIX of this Penal Code;

(d) any male person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earning of a prostitute or in any public place solicits or importunes for immoral purposes; and

(e) any male person who dresses or is attired in the fashion of a woman in a public place or who practices sodomy as a means of livelihood or as a profession.

(3) An "incorrigible vagabond" shall mean any person who after being convicted as a vagabond commits any of the offences which would render him liable to be convicted as such again.