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Section251
The Indian Penal Code, 1860

Delivery of Indian coin, possessed with knowledge that it is altered

Repealed From 01 Jan 1862 Act 45 of 1860 As on 17 Oct 2026

Act 45 of 1860 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 06 Oct 1860 In force 01 Jan 1862

This provision is repealed. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024. It is reproduced because conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.

Section 251 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with delivery of Indian coin, possessed with knowledge that it is altered. Whoever, having coin in his possession with respect to which the offence defined in section 247 or 249 has been committed, and having known at the time when he became possessed of such coin that such offence had been committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committ 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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, having coin in his possession with respect to which the offence defined in section 247 or 249 has been committed, and having known at the time when he became possessed of such coin that such offence had been committed with respect to it, fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed, delivers such coin to any other person, or attempts to induce any other person to receive the same, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Section 251, 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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.

This section refers to

  1. s. 247 Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition of Indian coin
  2. s. 249 Altering appearance of Indian coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different description

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.

  1. Narayan Singh S/o Nathu Singh vs State of Rajasthan

    High Court 23 Oct 2021 Persuasive (Other HC)

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    In cases involving charges of violent offences under Sections 143, 147, 352, 307, and 251 IPC, where the accused have been in custody for a substantial period, have no criminal antecedents, and the evidence does not indicate the use of firearms or the most serious form of violence, bail may be granted under Section 439 CrPC with appropriate personal bonds and sureties to ensure court appearance and compliance with bail conditions.

    On this section: Charge against accused in connection with violent altercation

    Read the full order on eCourts India

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 251

What have the courts held on Section 251 of the Indian Penal Code?

Narayan Singh S/o Nathu Singh vs State of Rajasthan (23 Oct 2021) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Charge against accused in connection with violent altercation.

How do I find court cases under Section 251 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 251, section 251 IPC, section 251 of the Indian Penal Code. 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 Narayan Singh S/o Nathu Singh vs State of Rajasthan (23 Oct 2021).

What should I read with Section 251 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?

Its own text turns on section 247 (Fraudulently or dishonestly diminishing weight or altering composition of Indian coin), section 249 (Altering appearance of Indian coin with intent that it shall pass as coin of different description), so none of them can safely be read on its own.

When did Section 251 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?

Section 251 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 251, 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

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.