23. Instruction into signal-room, trespass in telegraph office or obstruction.—If any person— (a) without permission of competent authority, enters the signal-room of a telegraph office of the Government, or of a person licensed under this Act, or (b) enters a fenced enclosure round such a telegraph office in contravention of any rule or notice not to do so, or (c) refuses to quit such room or enclosure on being requested to do so by any officer or servant employed therein, or (d) wilfully obstructs or impedes any such officer or servant in the performance of his duty, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 24. Unlawfully attempting to learn contents of messages.—If any person does any of the acts mentioned in section 23 with the intention of unlawfully learning the contents of any message, or of committing any offence punishable under this Act, he may (in addition to the fine with which he is punishable under section 23) be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year. 25. Intentionally damaging or tampering with telegraphs.—If any person intending— (a) to prevent or obstruct the transmission or delivery of any message, or (b) to intercept or to acquaint himself with the contents of any message , or (c) to commit mischief, damages, removes, tampers with or touches any battery, machinery, telegraph line, post or other thing whatever, being part of or used in or about any telegraph or in the working thereof, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. 1 [25A. Injury to or interference with a telegraph line or post.—If, in any case not provided for by section 25, any person deals with any property and thereby wilfully or negligently damages any telegraph line or post duly placed on such property in accordance with the provisions of this Act, he shall be liable to pay the telegraph authority such expenses (if any) as may be incurred in making good such damage, and shall also, if the telegraphic communication is by reason of the damage so caused interrupted, be punishable with a fine which may extend to one thousand rupees: Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply where such damage or interruption is caused by a person dealing with any property in the legal exercise of a right if he has complied with the provisions of section 19A (1).] 26. Telegraph officer or other official making away with or altering, or unlawfully intercepting or disclosing messages, or divulging purport of signals.—If any telegraph officer, or any person, not being a telegraph officer but having official duties connected with any office which is used as a telegraph office,— (a) wilfully secretes makes away with or alters any message which he has received for transmission or delivery, or (b) wilfully, and otherwise than in obedience to an order of the Central Government or of a State Government, or of an officer specially authorized 2[by the Central or a State Government] to make the order, omits to transmit, or intercepts or detains, any message or any part thereof, or otherwise than in pursuance of his official duty or in obedience to the direction of a competent Court, discloses the contents or any part of the contents of any me ssage, to any person not entitled to receive the same, or 1. I n s . b y A c t 7 o f 1 9 1 4 , s . 8 . 2. S u b s . b y t h e A . O . 1 9 3 7 , f o r “ b y t h e G . O . i n C . ” 12