Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes
Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 deals with making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes. Whoever makes, or causes to be made, or uses for any purpose whatsoever, or delivers to any person, any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note shall be punished with fine which may extend to three hu The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.
(1) Whoever makes, or causes to be made, or uses for any purpose whatsoever, or delivers to any person, any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note shall be punished with fine which may extend to three hundred rupees.
(2) If any person, whose name appears on a document the making of which is an offence under sub-section (1), refuses, without lawful excuse, to disclose to a police officer on being so required the name and address of the person by whom it was printed or otherwise made, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to six hundred rupees.
(3) Where the name of any person appears on any document in respect of which any person is charged with an offence under sub-section (1) or on any other document used or distributed in connection with that document it may, until the contrary is proved, be presumed that the person caused the document to be made.
Section 182, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act 45 of 2023).
Replaces a provision of the Indian Penal Code
IPC 489E Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes Text carried over almost unchanged 95%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
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. This section is classified 2 ways.
| Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes. | Fine of 300 rupees. | Non-cognizable. | Bailable. | Any Magistrate. |
| On refusal to disclose the name and address of the printer. | Fine of 600 rupees. | Non-cognizable. | Bailable. | Any Magistrate. |
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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Jiyabur Rahman vs The State of Assam
Decided under Indian Penal Code 489E, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
After rejection of an application for pre-arrest bail under Section 438 CrPC on merits, a subsequent bail application can only be entertained if there is a material change in the fact situation or in law which requires the earlier view to be interfered with or where the earlier finding has become obsolete. Mere availability of a forensic report on seized counterfeit currency notes, when the underlying facts and evidence were already considered in the earlier rejection, does not constitute such material change.
On this section: Possession of equipment for making counterfeit notes; petitioner charged with possession of FICN making machine
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Lal Singh vs State of Rajasthan through Pp
Decided under Indian Penal Code 489E, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When an accused has been in custody for a considerable period, the challan has been presented, trial conclusion may take substantial time, and there is no evidence of prior criminal involvement or other criminal cases, bail should be granted under Section 439 CrPC, subject to satisfaction of the trial court, without expressing opinion on the merits of the case.
On this section: Possession of materials or implements for counterfeiting currency
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 182
What have the courts held on Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
Jiyabur Rahman vs The State of Assam (17 Feb 2023) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below, though it was decided under IPC 489E, which this section replaced -- the court never mentioned this Act: Possession of equipment for making counterfeit notes; petitioner charged with possession of FICN making machine. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below. They run from 2017 to 2023.
Is Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita bailable?
Bailable, under the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Is Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita cognizable?
Non-cognizable. "Cognizable" means a police officer may arrest without warrant; "non-cognizable" that they may not. An offence under this section is triable by Any Magistrate.
How do I find court cases under Section 182 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 182, section 182 BNS, section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. People searching for it also type bns 182(2) and bns 182 1. 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 Jiyabur Rahman vs The State of Assam (17 Feb 2023).
What should I read with Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and has it changed?
It carries forward IPC 489E (Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.
When did Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita come into force?
Section 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cited as BNS 182, 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.