BNS Section 178: Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes (formerly IPC 230, IPC 231, IPC 232, IPC 246, IPC 247, IPC 248, IPC 249, IPC 255 and IPC 489A)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · in force from 1 July 2024
BNS 178: Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes
From 1 July 2024
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 as 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 practise deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, 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.
What it replaced in the IPC
BNS 178 ← IPC 230 · “Coin” definedChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
[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.] [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.]
Illustrations
(a) Cowries are not coin.
(b) Lumps of unstamped copper, though used as money, are not coin.
(c) Medals are not coin, inasmuch as they are not intended to be used as money.
(d) The coin denominated as the Company's rupee is [Indian coin]. [(e) The “Farukhabad rupee”, which was formerly used as money under the authority of the Government of India, is [Indian coin] although it is no longer so used.]
BNS 178 ← IPC 231 · Counterfeiting coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
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.
BNS 178 ← IPC 232 · Counterfeiting Indian coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in BPR&D's table only, and the other official table does not list it. Check before relying on it.
Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting [Indian coin], 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.
BNS 178 ← IPC 246 · Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition of coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever, fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any coin any operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that 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.
Explanation.—A person who scoops out part of the coin and puts anything else into the cavity alters the composition of the coin.
BNS 178 ← IPC 247 · Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition of Indian coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in BPR&D's table only, and the other official table does not list it. Check before relying on it.
Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly performs on [any Indian coin] any operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that 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.
BNS 178 ← IPC 248 · Altering appearance of coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different descriptionChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
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.
BNS 178 ← IPC 249 · Altering appearance of Indian coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different descriptionChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in BPR&D's table only, and the other official table does not list it. Check before relying on it.
Whoever performs on [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.
BNS 178 ← IPC 255 · Counterfeiting Government stampChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
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 [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.
BNS 178 ← IPC 489A · Counterfeiting currency-notes or bank-notesChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Nine sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of sections and offences has been reduced by eight. Illustrations given u /s 230 IPC are excluded.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any 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 section and of sections 489B, [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.
Which one applies
An offence is governed by the law in force when it was committed. An offence committed before 1 July 2024 is charged and punished under the IPC; one committed on or after that date, under the BNS. Section 358 of the BNS, which repeals the IPC, preserves every liability and proceeding already incurred under it.
Read BNS section 358 →Judgments decided under IPC 230
They remain the law on IPC 230. Where the provision changed in the move, read what changed before relying on one for an offence after 1 July 2024.
Sources
- Correspondence Table and Comparison Summary of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 to the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Bureau of Police Research & Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, page 19.
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: bare Act with Corresponding Section Table, National Crime Records Bureau (Sankalan), page 44.
- The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860), as amended, India Code, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice.
BPR&D is the Bureau of Police Research & Development (Ministry of Home Affairs); NCRB the National Crime Records Bureau. Their correspondence tables are training aids, not law. This page is general information, not legal advice on any case; the bare Acts as published by the Government of India are the authority.