Section 31: Bribery

The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 was repealed by the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (from 26 June 2024; Part III still applies to transmission lines under the Electricity Act, 2003).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.

A telegraph officer shall be deemed a public servant within the meaning of sections 161, 162, 163, 164 and 165 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860); and in the definition of "legal remuneration" contained in the said section 161, the word Government shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to include a person licensed under this Act.

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 31

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