Section 26 of The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885
If any telegraph officer, or any person, not being a telegraph officer but having official duties connected with any office which is used as a telegraph office,--
- (a)wilfully secretes makes away with or alters any message which he has received for transmission or delivery, or
- (b)wilfully, and otherwise than in obedience to an order of the Central Government or of a State Government, or of an officer specially authorized 1[by the Central or a State Government] to make the order, omits to transmit, or intercepts or detains, any message or any part thereof, or otherwise than in pursuance of his official duty or in obedience to the direction of a competent Court, discloses the contents or any part of the contents of any me ssage, to any person not entitled to receive the same, or
- (c)divulges the purport of any telegraphic signal to any person not entitled to become acquainted with the same, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Summary
- This provision punishes telegraph staff and officials who abuse their positions to mishandle messages.
- It targets any telegraph officer or anyone with official duties related to a telegraph office under the 1885 Telegraph Act.
- The prohibited acts include hiding, destroying, altering, or failing to transmit messages without government authority.
- It also forbids intercepting, delaying, or revealing message contents to unauthorized people unless ordered by the government or a court.
- Officials face a prison term of up to three years, a fine, or both if they violate these privacy and operational rules.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who can be punished under Section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885?
Under Section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, any telegraph officer or any person with official duties in a telegraph office can be punished.
2. Can an official intercept a message under Section 26 of the 1885 Telegraph Act?
Under Section 26 of the 1885 Telegraph Act, an official can only intercept a message if they are obeying an order from the Central Government, a State Government, or a specially authorized officer.
3. What is the penalty for a clerk who leaks telegraph contents under this telegraph law?
Under Section 26 of this telegraph law, an official who unlawfully discloses message contents can be punished with up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 26 of The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, who besides a designated telegraph officer can be penalized for unlawfully disclosing the contents of a message?
Q2.Under Section 26 of The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, under what circumstance is a telegraph officer legally permitted to intercept or detain a message?
Q3.Under Section 26 of The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, what is the maximum punishment for an official who willfully alters a message received for transmission?
Q4.Under Section 26 of The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, what does the law say about disclosing the contents of a message under the direction of a competent Court?