Indian Post Office Act, 1898
27B. Power to detain newspapers and other articles being
transmitted by post
(1) Any officer of the
Post Office authorized by the Post Master General in this behalf may detain any
postal article in course of transmission by post which he suspects to contain-
(a) (i) any newspaper or book as defined in
the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867; or
(ii) any document;
containing any seditious matter, that is to say,
any matter the publication of which is punishable under section 124A of the
Indian Penal Code; or
(b) any newspaper as defined in the Press and
Registration of Books Act, 1867 edited, printed or published otherwise than in
conformity with the rules laid down in that Act;
and shall deliver any postal article so
detained to such officer as the State Government may appoint in this behalf.
(2) Any officer
detaining any postal article under the provisions of sub-section (1) shall
forthwith send by post to the addressee of such article notice of the fact of
such detention.
(3) The State
Government shall cause the contents of any postal article detained under
sub-section (1) to be examined, and, if it appears to the State Government that
the article contained any newspaper, book or other document, of the nature
described in clause (a).or clause (b) of sub-section (1) may pass such orders
as to the disposal of the article and its contents as it may deem proper, and,
if it does not so appear, shall release the article and its contents, unless
the same be otherwise liable to seizure under any law for the time being in
force :
Provided that any person
interested in any article detained under the provisions of clause (a) of
sub-section (1) may, within two months from the date of such detention, apply
to the State Government for release of the same, and the State Government shall
consider such application and pass such orders thereon as it may deem to be
proper:
Provided also that, if such
application is rejected, the applicant may, within two months from the date of
the order rejecting the application, apply to the High Court for release of the
article and. its contents on the ground that the article did not contain any
newspaper, book or other document containing any seditious matter.
(4) In this section
"document" includes also any painting, drawing or photograph, or
other visible representation.