Forgery for purpose of harming reputation
Section 469 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with forgery for purpose of harming reputation. Whoever commits forgery, intending that the document forged shall harm the reputation of any party, or knowing that it is likely to be used for that purpose, 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 commits forgery, intending that the document forged shall harm the reputation of any party, or knowing that it is likely to be used for that purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 469, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 336 Forgery Close, with changes 78%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
-
Devendra Ramchandra Patil vs The State of Maharashtra
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
In cases involving allegations of cheating and forgery where there is substantial delay in lodging the FIR (approximately 7 years from the alleged incident), and where the applicants have cooperated with the investigating agency, custodial interrogation is not warranted in an anticipatory bail application. Furthermore, inter se disputes regarding the status of trustees and their authority cannot be examined in criminal proceedings under Section 438 of Cr.P.C., and such disputes should be resolved through appropriate remedies under the Bombay Public Trusts Act.
On this section: Forgery for purpose of harming reputation - cited as one of the charges
-
Vijaykumar Madanmohan Bhalla vs The State of Maharashtra
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
At the preliminary stage of criminal proceedings, allegations of forgery cannot be quashed merely because the underlying transaction is commercial or civil in nature, or because a tax authority has accepted a reduced amount. The court must allow the prosecution an opportunity to establish the offence alleged, and the decision of the Income Tax authority regarding tax liability has no bearing on criminal proceedings for forgery.
On this section: Forgery for purpose of harming reputation - Forged letter used in Income Tax proceedings
-
Satish Kumar Sharma vs Yogesh Kumar Sharma
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When parties in a family or civil-natured dispute reach an amicable settlement and no public interest is adversely affected, the High Court may quash the criminal proceedings to secure the ends of justice.
On this section: Offenses alleged in the FIRs ranging from fraud to assault.
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.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
-
… upon the decision of this Court in Sadhu Ram Singh's case (supra), OTS was arrived at between the parties in the wake of that High Court had exercised the power of quashing, which order has been upheld by this Court. The case was registered under Sections 120-B/420/467/468/471 of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 469 Indian Penal Code. It was a case in which it could not be corroborated by the evidence that the company had been using credit facility against the hypothecation of the stock, which stock was lying at the port. It was found that the respondent company had fraudulently obtained higher limits which appear to be …
Questions about Section 469
What have the courts held on Section 469 of the Indian Penal Code?
Devendra Ramchandra Patil vs The State of Maharashtra (21 Mar 2022) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Forgery for purpose of harming reputation - cited as one of the charges. Another 2 judgments on this section are set out below. They run from 2011 to 2022.
How do I find court cases under Section 469 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 469, section 469 IPC, section 469 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 469 in bns and ipc 469 punishment. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 3 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Devendra Ramchandra Patil vs The State of Maharashtra (21 Mar 2022).
What should I read with Section 469 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 336 (Forgery), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 469 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 469 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 469, 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.