Section-178 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes – with corresponding and equivalent Sections of IPC-Indian Penal Code.
| Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Indian Penal Code, 1860 (corresponding section) |
| 178. Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue, currency note or bank-note, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. Explanation.—For the purposes of this Chapter,— (1) the expression “bank-note” means a promissory note or engagement for the payment of money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business of banking in any part of the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power, and intended to be used as equivalent to, or as a substitute for money; (2) “coin” shall have the same meaning assigned to it in section 2 of the Coinage Act, 2011 and includes metal used for the time being as money and is stamped and issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power intended to be so used; (3) a person commits the offence of “counterfeiting Government stamp” who counterfeits by causing a genuine stamp of one denomination to appear like a genuine stamp of a different denomination; (4) a person commits the offence of counterfeiting coin who intending to practice deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practiced, causes a genuine coin to appear like a different coin; and (5) the offence of “counterfeiting coin” includes diminishing the weight or alteration of the composition, or alteration of the appearance of the coin. | 230. “Coin” defined.—2[Coin is metal used for the time being as money, and stamped and issued by the authority of some State or Sovereign Power in order to be so used.] 3[Indian coin.—Indian coin is metal stamped and issued by the authority of the Government of India in order to be used as money; and metal which has been so stamped and issued shall continue to be Indian coin for the purposes of this Chapter, notwithstanding that it may have ceased to be used as money.] 231. Counterfeiting coin.—Whoever counterfeits or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine. Explanation.—A person commits this offence who intending to practise deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, causes a genuine coin to appear like a different coin. 232. Counterfeiting Indian coin.—Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting 4[Indian coin], shall be punished with 7[imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. 489A. Counterfeiting currency-notes or bank-notes.—Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any currency-note or bank-note, shall be punished with 2[imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section and of sections 489B, 3[489C, 489D and 489E], the expression “bank-note” means a promissory note or engagement for the payment of money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business of banking in any part of the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power, and intended to be used as equivalent to, or as a substitute for money. |
| 178(5) The offence of “counterfeiting coin” includes diminishing the weight or alteration of the composition, or alteration of the appearance of the coin. | 248. Altering appearance of coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different description.— Whoever performs on any coin any operation which alters the appearance of that coin, with the intention that the said coin shall pass as a coin of a different description, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine. 249. Altering appearance of Indian coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different description.—Whoever performs on 3[any Indian coin] any operation which alters the appearance of that coin, with the intention that the said coin shall pass as a coin of a different description, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine. 250. Delivery of coin, possessed with knowledge that it is altered.—Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the offence defined in section 246 or 248 has been committed, and having known at the time when he became possessed of such coin that such offence had been committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers such coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any other person to receive the same, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine. 251. Delivery of Indian coin, possessed with knowledge that it is altered.—Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the offence defined in section 247 or 249 has been committed, and having known at the time when he became possessed of such coin that such offence had been committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers such coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any other person to receive the same, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. 252. Possession of coin by person who knew it to be altered when he became possessed thereof.—Whoever fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in possession of coin with respect to which the offence defined in either of the section 246 or 248 has been committed, having known at the time of becoming possessed thereof that such offence had been committed with respect to such coin, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine. 253. Possession of Indian coin by person who knew it to be altered when he became possessed thereof.—Whoever, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, is in possession of coin with respect to which the offence defined in either of the section 247 or 249 has been committed having known at the time of becoming possessed thereof, that such offence had been committed with respect to such coin, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine. 254. Delivery of coin as genuine which, when first possessed, the deliverer did not know to be altered.—Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine or as a coin of a different description from what it is, or attempts to induce any person to receive as genuine, or as a different coin from what it is, any coin in respect of which he knows that any such operation as that mentioned in sections 246, 247, 248 or 249 has been performed, but in respect of which he did not, at the time when he took it into his possession, know that such operation had been performed, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine to an amount which may extend to ten times the value of the coin for which the altered coin is passed, or attempted to be passed. 255. Counterfeiting Government stamp.—Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue shall be punished with 1[imprisonment for life] or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. Explanation.—A person commits this offence who counterfeits by causing a genuine stamps of one denomination to appear like a genuine stamp of a different denomination. |