BNS Section 179: Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes (formerly IPC 237, IPC 238, IPC 239, IPC 240, IPC 241, IPC 250, IPC 251, IPC 254, IPC 258, IPC 260 and IPC 489B)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · in force from 1 July 2024
BNS 179: Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes
From 1 July 2024
Whoever imports or exports, or sells or delivers to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or otherwise traffics or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit, 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.
What it replaced in the IPC
BNS 179 ← IPC 237 · Import or export of counterfeit coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever imports into [India], or exports therefrom, any counterfeit coin, knowing or having reason to believe that the same is counterfeit, 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 179 ← IPC 238 · Import or export of counterfeits of the Indian coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever imports into [India], or exports therefrom, any counterfeit coin, which he knows or has reason to believe to be a counterfeit of [Indian coin], shall be punished with [Imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
BNS 179 ← IPC 239 · Delivery of coin, possessed with knowledge that it is counterfeitChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever, having any counterfeit coin, which at the time when he became possessed of it, he knew to be counterfeit, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers the same to any persons or attempts to induce any person to receive it, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
BNS 179 ← IPC 240 · Delivery of Indian coin, possessed with knowledge that it is counterfeitChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever, having any counterfeit coin which is a counterfeit of [Indian coin], and which, at the time when he became possessed of it, he knew to be a counterfeit of [Indian coin], fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers the same to any person, or attempts to induce any person to receive it, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
BNS 179 ← IPC 241 · Delivery of coin as genuine, which, when first possessed, the deliverer did not know to be counterfeitChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever delivers to any other person as genuine, or attempts to induce any other person to receive as genuine, any counterfeit coin which he knows to be counterfeit, but which he did not know to be counterfeit at the time when he took it into his possession, 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 counterfeited, or with both.
Illustration A, a coiner, delivers counterfeit Company's rupees to his accomplice B, for the purpose of uttering them. B sells the rupees to C, another utterer, who buys them knowing them to be counterfeit. C pays away the rupees for goods to D, who receives them, not knowing them to be counterfeit. D, after receiving the rupees, discovers that they are counterfeit and pays them away as if they were good. Here D is punishable only under this section, but B and C are punishable under section 239 or 240, as the case may be.
BNS 179 ← IPC 250 · Delivery of coin, possessed with knowledge that it is alteredChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
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.
BNS 179 ← IPC 251 · Delivery of Indian coin, possessed with knowledge that it is alteredChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
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.
BNS 179 ← IPC 254 · Delivery of coin as genuine which, when first possessed, the deliverer did not know to be alteredChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
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.
BNS 179 ← IPC 258 · Sale of counterfeit Government stampChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever sells, or offers for sale, any stamp which he knows or has reason to believe to be a counterfeit of any stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue, 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 179 ← IPC 260 · Using as genuine a Government stamp known to be counterfeitChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever uses as genuine any stamp, knowing it to be a counterfeit of any stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
BNS 179 ← IPC 489B · Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit 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: Eleven sections of IPC have been covered in this single section of BNS. Thus, in a single stroke, the number of section and offences has b een reduced by ten.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever sells to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or otherwise traffics in or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit currency-note or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit, 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.
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 237
They remain the law on IPC 237. 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 45.
- 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.