Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter X: Of Offences Relating to Coin, Currency-Notes, Bank-Notes, and Government Stamps
Section 179: Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes
In plain words
Importing, exporting, buying, selling, trafficking in or using as genuine any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe it is fake, is punishable with imprisonment for life, or up to ten years, and a fine.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
Whoever imports or exports, or sells or delivers to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or otherwise traffics or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit, 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.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 25 August 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 179
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.