law: Indian Post Office Act, 1898 
  52. Penalty for theft, 
  
  dishonest misappropriation, secretion, destruction, or throwing away, of postal 
  
  articles
  Whoever, being 
  
  an officer of the Post Office, commits theft in respect of, or dishonestly 
  
  misappropriates, or, for any purpose whatsoever, secretes, destroys or throws 
  
  away, any postal article in course of transmission by post or anything contained 
  
  therein, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 
  
  seven years, and shall also be punishable with fine.