Section 27: Telegraph officer fraudulently sending messages without payment

The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 was repealed by the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (from 26 June 2024; Part III still applies to transmission lines under the Electricity Act, 2003). The text is kept here because the judgments below apply it.

If any telegraph officer transmits by telegraph any message on which the charge prescribed by the [Central Government], or by a person licensed under this Act, as the case may be, has not been paid, intending thereby to defraud the [Central Government] or that person, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 27

No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.