Innocent publication and distribution of matter not  contempt.(1) A person shall not be guilty of contempt of court on the  ground that he has published (whether by words spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise) any matter which  interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to  obstruct, the course of justice in connection with any civil or  criminal proceeding pending at the time of publication, if at that  time he had no reasonable grounds for believing that the proceeding  was pending.  (2)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this  Act or any other law for the time being in force, the publication of  any such matter as is mentioned in sub-section (1) in connection with  any civil or criminal proceeding which is not pending at the time of  publication shall not be deemed to constitute contempt of court.  (3)A person shall not be guilty of contempt of court on the  ground that he has distributed a publication containing any such  matter as is mentioned in sub-section (1), if at the time of  distribution he had no reasonable grounds for believing that it  contained or was likely to contain any such matter as aforesaid :  Provided that this sub-section shall not apply in respect of the distribution of-  (i) any publication which is a book or paper printed or published otherwise than in conformity with the rules  contained in section 3 of the Press and Registration of  Books Act, 1867 ;(25 of 1867) (ii) any publication which is a newspaper published otherwise  than in conformity with the rules contained in section 5 of the said Act.