Gujarat High Court Criminal Manual (subordinate court practice), 1977
(1) The successful administration of the above Acts will largely depend upon the care exercised by the Courts in selecting the right method of treatment. For this purpose, it is necessary to find out all possible details about the offender, his age, character, his physical and mental state of health, his surroundings, his home conditions and the circumstances in which he came to commit the crime. Before a charge is framed, or where summary procedure is being followed, at the earliest possible moment, the Court should cause inquiries to be made regarding the offender's antecedents, his character, his physical and mental conditions, the environments and the conditions in which he lives, the circumstances in which the offence was committed by him and his fitness for institutional and vocational training. The inquiries may be made through the Probation Officer or in place where there is no such Officer, through the District After-Care Associations, wherever such associations exist. Where such associations do not exist, the Court should cause necessary preliminary inquiries to be made through any suitable official or non-official organisation or any other source of information, which may be suggested by the District Magistrate. The result of such inquiry more particularly the circumstances under which the offence was committed should not be used as evidence in the case.