Cheating by personation
AI Assist
Summary
Pretending to be another person, knowingly substituting one person for another, or representing yourself or someone else as a different person counts as cheating by personation. It applies whether the person imitated is real or imaginary. Punishment: imprisonment up to five years, or fine, or both. The offence is cognizable, bailable and triable by any magistrate.
Example
Priya phones her bank pretending to be Rohan, the account holder, and gets funds transferred to her account. That is cheating by personation; she can face up to five years imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Bare Act
Enacted text(1) A person is said to “cheat by personation” if he cheats by pretending to be some other person, or by knowingly substituting one person for or another, or representing that he or any other person is a person other than he or such other person really is.
Explanation
The offence is committed whether the individual personated is a real or imaginary person.
Illustrations
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(a) A cheats by pretending to be a certain rich banker of the same name. A cheats by personation.
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(b) A cheats by pretending to be B, a person who is deceased. A cheats by personation.
(2) Whoever cheats by personation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
BNSS Classification
- Imprisonment for 5 years, or with fine, or with both.
- Cognizable
- Bailable
- Triable by Any Magistrate.
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