319. (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. (a) A cheats by pretending to be a certain rich banker of the same name. A cheats by personation. (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.
IPC Section 419 in BNS: Section 319(2)
Punishment of cheating by personation
Section 419 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Punishment of cheating by personation) corresponds to Section 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 319(2) is cognizable, bailable, triable by Any Magistrate; punishment: Imprisonment for 5 years, or with fine, or with both.
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Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 319(2) | Cheating by personation. | Imprisonment for 5 years, or with fine, or with both. | Cognizable | Bailable | Any Magistrate |
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 319(2)
Full BNS Section 319 and every IPC section it replaced →
Other IPC sections now in BNS 319
- IPC 416 → BNS 319
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