Postal Manual Vol. VIII - India Post

Act, may be opened and destroyed. If, however, only a part of the contents of the postal article is
of nature the transmission of which is prohibited under section 19 of the Act, the article may be
disposed of under the ordinary rules after destroying only that portion of the contents which is
prohibited. He may, however, with the written consent of the sender, but not otherwise, authorise
the sale of the contents of a leaky parcel and the remittance of the sale-proceeds to the sender. The
Head of the Circle will record an order in each case showing clearly his reasons for authorising the
opening or destruction of any such postal article.
Note – Leaky and perishable articles are “deleterious” and “likely to injure postal articles in course
of transmission by post” within the meaning of section 19 of the Post Office Act.
(2) The Head of a Circle is also empowered to direct that the under mentioned postal articles shall
be disposed of as stated below :-
(a) Any article found to bear words, marks, or designs or a seditious character, shall be made over
for disposal to the Provincial Criminal Intelligence Department.
(b)Any article found to contain anything indecent or obscene, or to have on its outside – whether on
the article itself, as in the case of a newspaper, or on its cover – words, marks, or designs of an indecent,
obscene, securilous, threatening, or grossly offensive character, shall be destroyed or be otherwise dealt
with in such manner as the Head of the Circle may direct.
(c) Any article found to contain –
(i) ticket, proposal or advertisement relating to a lottery, or
(ii) any other matter descriptive of, or otherwise relating to a lottery which is calculated to act as an
inducement to persons to participate in that lottery shall be destroyed.
Explanation. – ‘Lottery’ does not include a lottery organised or authorised by the Government.
This power should be exercised only when the article has reached the Returned Letter Office and
the reasons for ordering the destruction of an article should be recorded in writing. As regards
indecent or obscene article, only those articles as to the indecency or obscenity of which there can
be no possible doubt, should be ordered to be destroyed : all other such articles should be
forwarded to the Director-General for orders. In the case of a lottery, where the Head of the Circle
has the slightest doubt, whether the matter contained is actually a ticket, or a proposal etc. or not,
he should consult the law officers of the State or refer the case to the Director-General; if
considered necessary.
69. Disposal of articles with prohibited contents. – (1) On receiving information from the
Manager of the Returned Letter Office, that a postal article received in that office has been found
to contain intoxicating drugs, the transmission of which by post is prohibited, the Head of the
circle should, after satisfying himself as to the correctness of the report, issue orders for the article,
with all its contents, to be made over to the nearest Excise Officer for the adoption of such further
proceedings as may be deemed proper.
(2) If an article has been found to contain anything else, the transmission of which by post
is prohibited, the Head of the Circle, on receiving a report from the Returned Letter Office or from
the post office concerned, should issue orders as to the action to be taken, after enquiry, if
necessary, of the civil authorities.
EXPLANATION.- This rule applies only to cases in which it is known for certain that the
contents of the postal article are prohibited.
70. Complaints relating to v.p. articles sent dishonestly or fraudulently. – If a
complaint is made by the addressee immediately after the receipt of a v.p. article that it was sent
dishonestly or fraudulently, the Head of the Circle may (a) withhold the payment to the sender of