# 53 Penalty for opening, detaining or delaying postal articles
Whoever, being an officer of the Post Office, contrary to his duty, opens, or causes or suffers to be opened, any postal article in course of transmission by post, or willfully detains or delays, or causes or suffers to be detained or delayed, any such postal article, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or with both:
Provided that nothing in this section shall extend to the opening, detaining or delaying of any postal article under the authority of this Act or in obedience to the order in writing of the Central Government or the direction of a competent Court.
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Offences by officers of the Post Office
49
Penalty for misconduct of person employed to carry or deliver mail bags or postal articles50
Penalty for voluntary withdrawal from duty, without permission or notice, of person employed to carry or deliver mail bags or postal articles51
Penalty for making false entry in register kept by person employed to carry or deliver any postal articles52
Penalty for theft, dishonest misappropriation, secretion, destruction, or throwing away of postal articles54
Penalty for fraud in connection with official marks and for receipt of excess postage55
Penalty for fraudulently preparing, altering secreting or destroying Post Office documents56
Penalty for fraudulently sending unpaid postal articles
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