Counterfeiting Government stamp
Section 255 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with counterfeiting Government stamp. Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue 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 liabl 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue 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.-A person commits this offence who counterfeits by causing a genuine stamps of one denomination to appear like a genuine
stamp of a different denomination.
Section 255, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 178 Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes Close, with changes 73%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
Referred to by 1
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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Omveer Singh vs State of U.p.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When a co-accused person with a similar role in the crime has already been granted bail by the court, the principle of bail parity requires that another accused with similar involvement should also be considered for bail on similar grounds, provided other relevant factors such as period of detention and likelihood of misuse are also favorable. Bail can be granted at the prima facie stage without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, subject to appropriate conditions to ensure court attendance and prevent abuse of bail liberty.
On this section: Provisions related to forgery - charges against applicant
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 255
What have the courts held on Section 255 of the Indian Penal Code?
Omveer Singh vs State of U.p. (08 Jul 2022) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Provisions related to forgery - charges against applicant.
How do I find court cases under Section 255 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 255, section 255 IPC, section 255 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 Omveer Singh vs State of U.p. (08 Jul 2022).
What should I read with Section 255 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 178 (Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 255 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 255 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 255, 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.