Section 24: Power to deal with postal articles containing goods contraband or liable to duty .- [Except as otherwise provided in this Act, where a postal article suspected to contain any goods of which the import by post or the transmission by post is prohibited by or under any enactment for the time being in force,] or anything liable to duty, is received for delivery at a post office, the officer in charge of the post office shall send a notice in writing to the addressee inviting him to attend, either in person or by agent, within a specified time at the post office, and shall in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or if the addressee or his agent fails to attend as aforesaid then in his absence, open and examine the postal article:

Q: What does Section 24 of The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (TIPOA) deal with?

Section 24 TIPOA pertains to "Power to deal with postal articles containing goods contraband or liable to duty .- [Except as otherwise provided in this Act, where a postal article suspected to contain any goods of which the import by post or the transmission by post is prohibited by or under any enactment for the time being in force,] or anything liable to duty, is received for delivery at a post office, the officer in charge of the post office shall send a notice in writing to the addressee inviting him to attend, either in person or by agent, within a specified time at the post office, and shall in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or if the addressee or his agent fails to attend as aforesaid then in his absence, open and examine the postal article:". It is part of the The Indian Post Office Act, 1898, a legislation enacted by the Parliament of India. Section 24 of The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (TIPOA) governs power to deal with postal articles containing goods contraband or liable to duty .- [Except as otherwise provided in this Act, where a postal article suspected to contain any goods of which the import by post or the transmission by post is prohibited by or under any enactment for the time being in force,] or anything liable to duty, is received for delivery at a post office, the officer in charge of the post office shall send a notice in writing to the addressee inviting him to attend, either in person or by agent, within a specified time at the post office, and shall in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or if the addressee or his agent fails to attend as aforesaid then in his absence, open and examine the postal article:. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: Is Section 24 TIPOA still in force?

Yes, Section 24 of the The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 is currently in force across the Republic of India.

Q: What is धारा 24 TIPOA?

धारा 24 TIPOA is the Devanagari Hindi reference for Section 24 of the The Indian Post Office Act, 1898. Section 24 of The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (TIPOA) governs power to deal with postal articles containing goods contraband or liable to duty .- [Except as otherwise provided in this Act, where a postal article suspected to contain any goods of which the import by post or the transmission by post is prohibited by or under any enactment for the time being in force,] or anything liable to duty, is received for delivery at a post office, the officer in charge of the post office shall send a notice in writing to the addressee inviting him to attend, either in person or by agent, within a specified time at the post office, and shall in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or if the addressee or his agent fails to attend as aforesaid then in his absence, open and examine the postal article:. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: What is Dhara 24 TIPOA?

Dhara 24 TIPOA is the Roman Hindi reference for Section 24 of the The Indian Post Office Act, 1898. "Dhara" means "Section" in Hindi. Section 24 of The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (TIPOA) governs power to deal with postal articles containing goods contraband or liable to duty .- [Except as otherwise provided in this Act, where a postal article suspected to contain any goods of which the import by post or the transmission by post is prohibited by or under any enactment for the time being in force,] or anything liable to duty, is received for delivery at a post office, the officer in charge of the post office shall send a notice in writing to the addressee inviting him to attend, either in person or by agent, within a specified time at the post office, and shall in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or if the addressee or his agent fails to attend as aforesaid then in his absence, open and examine the postal article:. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: How to cite Section 24 of The Indian Post Office Act, 1898?

Cite as: "Section 24, The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (TIPOA)" in legal briefs. For academic writing, use the BlueBook format: The Indian Post Office Act, 1898, § 24 (India).

Law on Tips Editorial Board

Provided, first, that, if the Director General so directs in the case of any post office or class of post offices, the officer in charge of the post office shall call in two respectable persons as witnesses before he opens a postal article in the absence of the addressee or his agent:

Provided, secondly, that in all cases a postal article, after being opened under this section, shall be delivered to the addressee, unless it is required for the purpose of any further proceeding under this or any other law or enactment for the time being in force, and that the opening of the postal article and the circumstances connected therewith shall be immediately reported to the Post Master General.

[* * *] [ The third proviso omitted by Act 15 of 1921, Section 2.]

[24-A. Power to deliver such articles to customs authority

.-The Central Government may, by general or special order, empower any officer or the Post Office, specified in such order, to deliver any postal article received from beyond the limits of ][India] [ Substituted by Act 25 of 1950, Section 11 and Schedule IV, for " the States " .][and suspected to contain anything liable to duty, to such Customs authority as may be specified in the said order, and such Customs authority shall deal with such article in accordance with the provisions of the ] [Inserted by Act 15 of 1921, Section 3. ][Sea Customs Act, 1878 (8 of 1878)] [ Now see the Customs Act, 1962.][, or of any other law for the time being in force. ] [Inserted by Act 15 of 1921, Section 3. ]