The Punjab Suppression of Indecent Advertisements Act, 1941

This Act may be called the Punjab Suppression of Indecent Advertisements Act, 1941.

For the purposes of this Act any advertisement relating to syphilis, gonorrhoea nervous debility or other complaint or infirmity arising from or relating to sexual intercourse shall be deemed to be printed or written matter of an indecent nature.

(1) Whosoever affixes to, inscribes or stencils on any house, building, wall, hoarding, gate, fence, pillar, post, board, tree, or any other thing whatsoever so as to be visible to a person being in or passing along any street, public highway or foot-path, and whoever affixes to, inscribes or stencils on any public latrine or urinal, or exhibits to public view in the window of any house or shop, any picture or printed or written matter which is of indecent nature, shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both such imprisonment and fine. (2) Where any such picture or printed or written matter is displayed in the manner prohibited by sub-section (1), any person being in possession or control of any such land, building, structure or house to which such picture or printed or written matter has been affixed or who suffers the same to be continued to be displayed shall knowingly and on conviction be punished with imprisonment which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both such imprisonment and fine.

Whosoever gives or delivers to any other person any such picture or printed or written matter mentioned in section 3 with the intent that the same, or some part thereof, should be affixed, inscribed, or stencilled as therein mentioned, shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment of either description which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both such imprisonment and fine.

Any police officer may seize, remove, deface or destroy any such picture or printed or written matter which has been affixed, inscribed or stencilled as aforesaid.

Any police officer may arrest without warrant any person whom he shall find committing any offence against this Act.

Nothing in this Act shall apply to any advertisement published by any municipal corporation or by any municipal, small town or notified area committee or published with the sanction of the Central Government.