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BNS, 2023
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BNSChapter XVIIISection 337
Section337

Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc

AI Assist

Summary

Forging a document or electronic record that pretends to be a court record, a government identity (like voter identity card or Aadhaar), registers of birth/marriage/burial, registers kept by a public servant, official certificates, authority to sue or confess judgment, or a power of attorney is a criminal offence. It applies when someone creates or tampers with such records to deceive. Punishment is imprisonment up to seven years and fine; the offence is non-bailable and triable by a first-class magistrate.

Example

Priya creates a fake Aadhaar to obtain a government subsidy. That is forgery of a government identity and she can be punished with up to seven years imprisonment and a fine; the offence is non-bailable and tried by a first-class magistrate.

Bare Act

Enacted text

Whoever forges a document or an electronic record, purporting to be a record or proceeding of or in a Court or an identity document issued by Government including voter identity card or Aadhaar Card, or a register of birth, marriage or burial, or a register kept by a public servant as such, or a certificate or document purporting to be made by a public servant in his official capacity, or an authority to institute or defend a suit, or to take any proceedings therein, or to confess judgment, or a power of attorney, 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

For the purposes of this section, “register” includes any list, data or record of any entries maintained in the electronic form as defined in clause (r ) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

BNSS Classification

  • Imprisonment for 7 years, or fine.
  • Non-cognizable
  • Non-bailable
  • Triable by Magistrate of the first class.
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XVIII

Chapter XVIII

Of Offences Relating To Documents And To Property Marks

In this chapter

  • 335Making a false document
  • 336Forgery
  • 337Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc
  • 338Forgery of valuable security, will, etc
  • 339Having possession of document described in section 337 or 338, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine
  • 340Forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine
  • 341Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 338
  • 342Counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents described in section 338, or possessing counterfeit marked material
  • 343Fraudulent cancellation, destruction, etc., of will, authority to adopt, or valuable security
  • 344Falsification of accounts
  • 345Property mark
  • 346Tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury
  • 347Counterfeiting a property mark
  • 348Making or possession of any instrument for counterfeiting a property mark
  • 349Selling goods marked with a counterfeit property mark
  • 350Making a false mark upon any receptacle containing goods
Previous · Section 336ForgeryNext · Section 338Forgery of valuable security, will, etc