( 1 ) THESE are two connected applications under Section 25 of the Small Causes Court Act which raise an important question of law relating, to the scope and extent of the liability of the Post office for articles delivered to it for transmission by Value Payable Post (hereinafter called the v. P. P. ). Both these revisions have been filed by the Union of India as the Government in charge of the Post Office concerned and it shall be referred to in this judgment as the Post Office.

( 2 ) IN revision No. 774 of 1952, a Firm Rant Gopal Hukum Chand filed a suit against the Post office with following allegations: On 11-5-48 the firm delivered four parcels to the Post Office at Mau Nath Bhanjan in the District of Azamgarh for transmission. Three of them were sent by registered post and were delivered to the addressees, in due course, and there is no dispute concerning; them. The fourth was sent by V. P. P. for a sum of Rs. 313/3/ -. The plaintiff alleged that he never received the amount due on this parcel and began to make enquiries. He wrote to the addressee who informed him that they had received the parcel and had paid the amount to the Post Office. He made a complai