181. 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.
IPC Section 257 in BNS: Section 181
Making or possessing instruments or materials
Section 257 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Making or possessing instruments or materials) corresponds to Section 181 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 181 is cognizable, non-bailable, triable by Court of Session; punishment: Imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for 10 years and fine.
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Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 181 | Making, buying, selling or possessing machinery, instrument or material for forging or counterfeiting coins, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes. | Imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for 10 years and fine. | Cognizable | Non-bailable | Court of Session |
Source: BNSS, 2023, First Schedule, Part I.
The BNS applies to offences committed on or after 1 July 2024. Offences committed earlier are charged and tried under the IPC.
Text of BNS Section 181
Full BNS Section 181 and every IPC section it replaced →
Other IPC sections now in BNS 181
- IPC 233: Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting → BNS 181
- IPC 234 → BNS 181
- IPC 235 → BNS 181
- IPC 256 → BNS 181
- IPC 489D → BNS 181
Ask CaseMinister about IPC 257 / BNS 181
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