Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 467
Section 472 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 467. Whoever makes or counterfeits any seal, plate or other instrument for making an impression, intending that the same shall be used for the purpose of committing any forgery which would be punishable under section 467 of this Code, or, with such intent, has in his possession any such seal, plate or ot 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 makes or counterfeits any seal, plate or other instrument for making an impression, intending that the same shall be used for the purpose of committing any forgery which would be punishable under section 467 of this Code, or, with such intent, has in his possession any such seal, plate or other instrument, knowing the same to be counterfeit, shall be punishable with [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 472, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 341 Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 338 Text carried over almost unchanged 95%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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
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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Govind Pandit vs State of Bihar
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
While a conviction under Sections 420, 468, 471, and 472 IPC may be upheld on merit, the sentencing court has discretion to reduce the sentence to the period already undergone by the accused, particularly when considering the age of the case and the custody already served.
On this section: Making or possessing counterfeit seal, plate, etc. - conviction upheld
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Surendra Ram vs The State of Bihar
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A person accused of fraud and forgery offences, who has no criminal antecedents and against whom the investigation is complete, is entitled to bail on furnishing appropriate bail bond and sureties, as the grounds for continued detention are no longer present.
On this section: Habitually dealing in forged documents
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Govind Singh Chauhan S/o Shri Shankar Singh Chauhan B/c Rajput vs State of Rajasthan through Pp
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When an accused has been in custody for a considerable period, the challan has been presented in court indicating completion of investigation, and the trial is likely to take substantial time, it is just and expedient to grant regular bail under Section 439 Criminal Procedure Code, subject to satisfaction of the trial court, without prejudging the merits of the case.
On this section: Making or possessing counterfeit seal - charge against petitioner
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 472
What have the courts held on Section 472 of the Indian Penal Code?
Govind Pandit vs State of Bihar (06 Jul 2015) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Making or possessing counterfeit seal, plate, etc. - conviction upheld. Another 2 judgments on this section are set out below. They run from 2012 to 2018.
How do I find court cases under Section 472 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 472, section 472 IPC, section 472 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 472 punishment and ipc 472 in bns. 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 Govind Pandit vs State of Bihar (06 Jul 2015).
What should I read with Section 472 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 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 341 (Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 338), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 472 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 472 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 472, 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.