247. (1) When a magistrate of the first class receives information -
(a) that a house in the vicinity of a place of workshop or an educational institution or a boarding house, hostel or mess used or occupied by students is used as a brothel or for the purpose or habitual prostitution or by disorderly persons of any description, or
(b) that any house is used as aforesaid to the annoyance of respectable inhabitants in the vicinity, or ;
(c) that a house in the immediate neighborhood of a cantonment is used as a brothel or for the purpose of habitual prostitution.
he may summon the owner, tenant, manager or occupier of the house to appear before him either in person or by agent ; and if satisfied that the house is used as described in clause (a), clause (b), or clause (c), may, by a written order, direct such owner, tenant, manager or occupier within a period to be stated in such order, not less than five days from the date thereof, to discontinue such use :
Provided that action under this sub-section shall be taken only-
(i) with the sanction or by order of the District Magistrate, or
(ii) on the complaint of three or more persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the house to which the complaint refers, or
(iii) [* * * *] on the complaint of the Municipality.
(2) If a person against whom an order has been passed by a magistrate under sub-section (1) fails to comply with such order within the period stated therein, the magistrate may impose on him a fine which may extend to twenty-five rupees for every day after the expiration of that period during which the house is so used.