BNS Section 181: Making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes (formerly IPC 233, IPC 234, IPC 235, IPC 256, IPC 257 and IPC 489D)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · in force from 1 July 2024
BNS 181: Making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes
From 1 July 2024
Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part of the process of making or mending, or buys or sells or disposes of, or has in his possession, any machinery, die, or instrument or material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for forging or 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.
What it replaced in the IPC
BNS 181 ← IPC 233 · Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Six 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 five, and 'any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of r evenue' is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part of the process of making or mending, or buys, sells or disposes of, any die or instrument, for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extended to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
BNS 181 ← IPC 234 · Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting Indian coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Six 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 five, and 'any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of r evenue' is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part of the process of making or mending or buys, sells or disposes of, any die or instrument, for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting [Indian 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 181 ← IPC 235 · Possession of instrument or material for the purpose of using the same for counterfeiting coinChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Six 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 five, and 'any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of r evenue' is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever is in possession of any instrument or material, for the purpose of using the same for counterfeiting coin, or knowing or having reason to believe that the same is intended to be used for that purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine; if Indian coin.—and if the coin to be counterfeited is [Indian coin], 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 181 ← IPC 256 · Having possession of instrument or material for counterfeiting Government stampChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Six 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 five, and 'any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of r evenue' is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever has in his possession any instrument or material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting 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 181 ← IPC 257 · Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting Government stampChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: Six 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 five, and 'any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of r evenue' is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever makes or performs any part of the process of making, or buys, or sells, or disposes or, any instrument for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting 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 181 ← IPC 489D · Making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or 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: Six 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 five, and 'any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of r evenue' is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever makes, or performs any part of the process of making, or buys or sells or disposes of, or has in his possession, any machinery, instrument or material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for forging or 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.]
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 233
They remain the law on IPC 233. 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 46.
- 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.