Section 179 BNS: Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or banknotes
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 179 BNS at a Glance
Section 179 BNS deals with using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or banknotes. It is non-bailable and cognizable, triable by Magistrate of the first class; it replaced Section 250 IPC on 1 July 2024.
Imprisonment of either description for up to five years under Section 250 IPC. Section 179 BNS provides imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for up to ten years.
Section 179 BNS Bare Act Text
179. Delivery of coin, possessed with knowledge that it is altered
Whoever imports or exports, or sells or delivers to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or otherwise traffics or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit, 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.
Source: Section 179, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 179 BNS in Simple Words
Section 179 BNS punishes anyone who imports, exports, sells, delivers, buys, receives, traffics in, or uses as genuine any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note, or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe it to be forged or counterfeit. The offence is punishable with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for up to ten years, and liability to fine.
Ingredients of Section 179 BNS
- Importing, exporting, selling, delivering, buying, receiving, trafficking, or using as genuine
- Any forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-note, or bank-note, including a coin whose weight, composition or appearance has been altered, which clause (5) of the Explanation to Section 178 BNS treats as counterfeiting
- Knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit
- Punishment of imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for up to ten years, and liability to fine
Punishment Under Section 179 BNS
Imprisonment of either description for up to five years under Section 250 IPC. Section 179 BNS provides imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for up to ten years.
Liable to fine under Section 250 IPC. Under Section 179 BNS, imprisonment must be imposed and the offender is also liable to fine.
Section 250 IPC punished delivery of altered coin with imprisonment of either description for up to five years and liability to fine. Section 179 BNS consolidates trafficking and delivery of counterfeit coin, stamps, and currency, raising the maximum penalty to imprisonment for life, or up to ten years, and liability to fine.
Example of Section 179 BNS
When Section 179 BNS Does Not Apply
- The coin, stamp, currency-note, or bank-note was genuine and not forged or counterfeit
- The person neither knew nor had reason to believe that the coin, stamp, currency-note, or bank-note was forged or counterfeit
- The person did not import, export, sell, deliver, buy, receive, traffic in, or use the item as genuine
Section 179 BNS in the IPC (Previous Law)
Section 179 BNS replaces Section 250 IPC from the old criminal code.
Section 250 IPC penalized delivering coin altered in weight, composition, or appearance, where knowledge of the alteration existed at the time possession was acquired, with imprisonment of either description for up to five years and fine. Section 179 BNS absorbs this offence into a unified provision covering the delivery, sale, trafficking, and uttering of forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamps, currency-notes, and bank-notes. Under Section 179 BNS, the prosecution must prove knowledge or reason to believe the item is counterfeit, without needing to establish that such knowledge existed at the exact moment of acquisition. Section 179 BNS has no separate limb for attempting to induce a person to receive the coin, and it does not require that the act be done fraudulently or with intent that fraud may be committed. The maximum sentence increases from five years under Section 250 IPC to imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for up to ten years, and fine.
View IPC Section 250 →FAQs on Section 179 BNS
What does Section 179 BNS punish?▼
Section 179 BNS punishes importing, exporting, selling, delivering, buying, receiving, trafficking in, or using as genuine any forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-note, or bank-note, when the person knows or has reason to believe it is forged or counterfeit.
What must police prove under Section 179 BNS?▼
They must prove that the person imported, exported, sold, delivered, bought, received, trafficked in, or used as genuine a forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note, or bank-note, and that the person knew or had reason to believe it was forged or counterfeit.
Is Section 179 BNS bailable?▼
No. This is a non-bailable offence, so bail is not a matter of right. The accused must apply to the court, which decides in light of the facts, the seriousness of the allegations, and other relevant circumstances.
What is the punishment under Section 179 BNS?▼
The punishment under Section 179 BNS is imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and liability to fine. The exact sentence depends on the facts of the case.
How is Section 179 BNS different from just finding a fake note in my wallet without knowing it?▼
Section 179 BNS applies when a person imports, exports, sells, delivers, buys, receives, traffics in, or uses as genuine a forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note, or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe it is fake. Merely having a fake note without knowing or having reason to believe it is counterfeit, and without dealing in or using it as genuine, does not fall under this section.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·