Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition of coin
Section 246 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition of coin. Whoever, fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any coin any operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that coin, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine. The Act came into force on 01 Jan 1862. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.
Whoever, fraudulently or dishonestly performs on any coin any operation which diminishes the weight or alters the composition of that coin, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation.-A person who scoops out part of the coin and puts anything else into the cavity alters the composition of the coin.
247.
Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition
Section 246, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
No provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is textually close to this one. No close match found
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
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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Sankar vs The Inspector of Police
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When a juvenile is accused of a petty offence under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, and the enquiry cannot be concluded within the statutory period of four months plus two months extension as mandated by Section 14 of the Act, the High Court has the inherent power and discretion to terminate the entire proceedings in the interest of justice, even without examining the compoundability of the offence under Section 482 Cr.P.C.
On this section: Definition of petty offence as one carrying imprisonment up to 3 years; court applied this to determine that Section 304A offence (max 2 years imprisonment) is a petty offence
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 246
What have the courts held on Section 246 of the Indian Penal Code?
Sankar vs The Inspector of Police (21 Mar 2019) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Definition of petty offence as one carrying imprisonment up to 3 years; court applied this to determine that Section 304A offence (max 2 years imprisonment) is a petty offence.
How do I find court cases under Section 246 of the Indian Penal Code?
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: IPC 246, section 246 IPC, section 246 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type 246 ipc act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Sankar vs The Inspector of Police (21 Mar 2019).
What should I read with Section 246 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 246 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 246 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 246, came into force on 01 Jan 1862, having been enacted on 06 Oct 1860. It is no longer in force.
Other sections of this Act
- 499. Defamation1512 words
- 464. Making a false document1223 words
- 300. Murder1172 words
- 378. Theft980 words
- 108. Abettor745 words
- 403. Dishonest misappropriation of property727 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. Recovered from the consolidated text published by India Code (item 7b7d4fe6-206b-4e33-81f1-b98b018acaf6). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.