Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes
Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 deals with counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes. Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of 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 The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.
Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of 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.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this Chapter,—
(1) the expression “bank-note” means a promissory note or engagement for the payment of money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business of banking in any part of the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power, and intended to be used as equivalent to, or as a substitute for money;
(2) “coin” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2 of the Coinage Act, 2011 (11 of 2011) and includes metal used for the time being as money and is stamped and issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power intended to be so used;
(3) a person commits the offence of “counterfeiting Government stamp” who counterfeits by causing a genuine stamp of one denomination to appear like a genuine stamp of a different denomination;
(4) a person commits the offence of counterfeiting coin who intending to practise deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, causes a genuine coin to appear like a different coin; and
(5) the offence of “counterfeiting coin” includes diminishing the weight or alteration of the composition, or alteration of the appearance of the coin.
Section 178, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act 45 of 2023).
Replaces a provision of the Indian Penal Code
IPC 231 Counterfeiting coin Close, with changes 77%
Measured by comparing the text of the two provisions, not taken from an official correspondence table — there is no machine-readable one. See both texts side by side before relying on it.
Both regimes are live. The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force. We never redirect one to the other.
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Referred to by 1
How this offence is classified
From the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which classifies every offence under the Sanhita. Cognizable means a police officer may arrest without warrant; bailable means bail is a matter of right rather than of the court's discretion.
| Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counterfeiting coins, government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes. | Imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for 10 years and fine. | Cognizable. | Non-bailable. | Court of Session. |
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Aweys Hersi Salad A3 vs CCS
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
An indefeasible right to default bail accrues to the accused under Section 187(3) BNSS if the investigation is not completed and the charge sheet is not filed within the prescribed statutory period, and this right cannot be overridden by the seriousness of the crime.
On this section: Offences relating to counterfeit currency and cheating.
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A3 Aweys Hersi Salad vs Gudimalkapur PS
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Bail may be denied at the investigation stage in organized economic crimes where the accused is a foreign national and there is a high risk of absconding or interference with the pursuit of co-accused.
On this section: Offenses related to counterfeit currency and cheating.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 178
What have the courts held on Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
Aweys Hersi Salad A3 vs CCS (25 Mar 2026) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Offences relating to counterfeit currency and cheating. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below.
Is Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita bailable?
Non-bailable, under the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Is Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita cognizable?
Cognizable. "Cognizable" means a police officer may arrest without warrant; "non-cognizable" that they may not. An offence under this section is triable by Court of Session.
How do I find court cases under Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: BNS 178, section 178 BNS, section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. People searching for it also type bns 178 to 182 and bns 178 3 in hindi. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Aweys Hersi Salad A3 vs CCS (25 Mar 2026).
What should I read with Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on Coinage Act 2 (Definitions), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. It carries forward IPC 231 (Counterfeiting coin), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.
When did Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita come into force?
Section 178 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cited as BNS 178, came into force on 01 Jul 2024, having been enacted on 25 Dec 2023. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions2199 words
- 356. Defamation1543 words
- 335. Making a false document1318 words
- 101. Murder1177 words
- 303. Theft1104 words
- 3. General explanations858 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.