CHAPTER XVIII OF OFFENCES RELATING TO DOCUMENTS AND TO PROPERTY MARKS

Section 336: Forgery

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

(1) Whoever makes any false document or false electronic record or part of a document or electronic record, with intent to cause damage or injury, to the public or to any person, or to support any claim or title, or to cause any person to part with property, or to enter into any express or implied contract, or with intent to commit fraud or that fraud may be committed, commits forgery.

(2) Whoever commits forgery shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

(3) Whoever commits forgery, intending that the document or electronic record forged shall be used for the purpose of cheating, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

(4) Whoever commits forgery, intending that the document or electronic record forged shall harm the reputation of any party, or knowing that it is likely to be used for that purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Corresponding IPC provision

As given in the correspondence table of the National Crime Records Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs). Read both texts before relying on it. NCRB table

336 (1)

463. Forgery.

Leading cases

Mohammed Ibrahim v. State of Bihar (2009)Decided on IPC section 463Executing a sale deed for land the executant claims as his own, though it is not his, is not making a false document under Section 464 IPC, so no forgery under Sections 467 and 471 arises.

Questions on this section

1 question in 5 of our papers cite Section 336. Try these from the free papers:

1. Consider the following statements under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: 1. Forgery committed with the intention that the forged document shall be used for the purpose of cheating is punishable with imprisonment up to seven years, and fine. 2. Forgery committed with the intention that the forged document shall harm the reputation of any party is punishable with imprisonment up to three years, and fine. 3. Whoever fraudulently uses as genuine a document which he knows to be forged is punished in the same manner as if he had forged it. 4. Forgery simpliciter under Section 336(2) is punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or fine, or both. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Practise questions on Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita