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Thursday, 12 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XVIII: Of Offences Relating To Documents And To Property Marks

Section 340 BNS: Forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine

Corresponding IPC
Section 470, 471 IPC
Punishment
Same punishment as for forging the document (use as genuine)
Note
IPC 470 and 471 combined as two subsections.

Classification of offence

SectionCognizable?Bailable?Triable by
340(2)CognizableBailableMagistrate of the first class

As per the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Bare Act text

(1) A false document or electronic record made wholly or in part by forgery is designated a forged document or electronic record.

(2) Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document or electronic record which he knows or has reason to believe to be a forged document or electronic record, shall be punished in the same manner as if he had forged such document or electronic record.

Text as enacted in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023), in force from 1 July 2024. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

Defines a forged document as a false document made wholly or partly by forgery. Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine a document known or believed to be forged is punished as if he had forged it.

Chapter XVIII: Of Offences Relating To Documents And To Property Marks

  1. 335 Making a false document
  2. 336 Forgery
  3. 337 Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc
  4. 338 Forgery of valuable security, will, etc
  5. 339 Having possession of document described in section 337 or section 338, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine
  6. 340 Forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine
  7. 341 Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 338
  8. 342 Counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents described in section 338, or possessing counterfeit marked material
  9. 343 Fraudulent cancellation, destruction, etc., of will, authority to adopt, or valuable security
  10. 344 Falsification of accounts
  11. 345 Property mark
  12. 346 Tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury
  13. 347 Counterfeiting a property mark
  14. 348 Making or possession of any instrument for counterfeiting a property mark
  15. 349 Selling goods marked with a counterfeit property mark
  16. 350 Making a false mark upon any receptacle containing goods
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