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Section462
The Indian Penal Code, 1860

Punishment for same offence when committed by person entrusted with custody

Repealed From 01 Jan 1862 Act 45 of 1860 As on 17 Oct 2026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This provision is repealed. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024.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 462 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with punishment for same offence when committed by person entrusted with custody. Whoever, being entrusted with any closed receptacle which contains or which he believes to contain property without having authority to open the same, dishonestly, or with intent to commit mischief, breaks open or unfastens that receptacle, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description f 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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, being entrusted with any closed receptacle which contains or which he believes to contain property without having authority to open the same, dishonestly, or with intent to commit mischief, breaks open or unfastens that receptacle, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

CHAPTER XVIII

OF OFFENCES RELATING TO DOCUMENTS AND TO PROPERTY MARKS

CHAPTER XVIII

OF OFFENCES RELATING TO DOCUMENTS AND TO PROPERTY MARKS

Section 462, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).

Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

BNS 334 Dishonestly breaking open receptacle containing property Distant match 53%

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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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

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. Thuraka Veeraswami vs The State of Telangana

    High Court 19 Jan 2016 Persuasive (Other High Court)

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    When allegations of document forgery and cheating are serious in nature and supported by investigative evidence (including a co-accused's confession, which is admissible for investigative purposes), anticipatory bail should be denied to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure the availability of the accused for trial.

    On this section: Forgery of valuable security, will, or authority; applied to the fake documents supplied by the petitioner

    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 462

What have the courts held on Section 462 of the Indian Penal Code?

Thuraka Veeraswami vs The State of Telangana (19 Jan 2016) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Forgery of valuable security, will, or authority; applied to the fake documents supplied by the petitioner.

How do I find court cases under Section 462 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 462, section 462 IPC, section 462 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 462 in bns and 462 ipc punishment. 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 Thuraka Veeraswami vs The State of Telangana (19 Jan 2016).

What should I read with Section 462 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?

For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 334 (Dishonestly breaking open receptacle containing property), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.

When did Section 462 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?

Section 462 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 462, 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.