Section 201 BNS: Public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 201 BNS at a Glance
Section 201 BNS deals with public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury. It is bailable and cognizable, triable by Magistrate of the first class; it replaced Section 167 IPC on 1 July 2024.
Imprisonment of either description for up to three years.
Section 201 BNS Bare Act Text
201. Public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury
Whoever, being a public servant, and being, as such public servant, charged with the preparation or translation of any document or electronic record, frames, prepares or translates that document or electronic record in a manner which he knows or believes to be incorrect, intending thereby to cause or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause injury to any person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Source: Section 201, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 201 BNS in Simple Words
Section 201 BNS of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealt with a public servant who, while acting in an official capacity, knowingly framed or prepared an incorrect document with the intention of causing injury. The key point is not a mere clerical mistake. The law targets deliberate misuse of official authority to create a false or wrong document that can harm someone. This section applied only to public servants.
A private person could not be charged under this provision. In practice, it covered situations where an officer altered records, made a false entry, or prepared an incorrect official paper knowing it was wrong and intending that it would hurt another person’s rights, reputation, property, or legal position. It mattered because official documents carry weight, and a wrong document made by a public servant can cause serious civil and criminal consequences.
Ingredients of Section 201 BNS
- A public servant charged, as such public servant, with the preparation or translation of a document or electronic record
- The framing, preparation or translation of that document or electronic record in a manner which the public servant knows or believes to be incorrect
- Intention to cause injury to any person or knowledge that injury to any person is likely
Punishment Under Section 201 BNS
Imprisonment of either description for up to three years.
The offender may be punished with fine alone or with both imprisonment and fine.
Framing, preparing or translating an incorrect document or electronic record with intent to cause injury carries imprisonment of either description for up to three years, or fine, or both.
Example of Section 201 BNS
When Section 201 BNS Does Not Apply
- The accused was not a public servant
- The accused was not charged, as such public servant, with the preparation or translation of the document or electronic record
- The accused neither knew nor believed the document or electronic record to be incorrect
- The accused neither intended to cause injury to any person nor knew it to be likely that he might cause injury to any person
Section 201 BNS in the IPC (Previous Law)
Section 201 BNS replaces Section 167 IPC from the old criminal code.
Section 167 IPC is now Section 201 BNS, with the same title, the same words and the same punishment.
View IPC Section 167 →FAQs on Section 201 BNS
Does Section 201 BNS apply to every wrong document made by a government officer?▼
No. A simple clerical error or an honest mistake is not enough. The prosecution must show that the public servant knowingly made the document incorrect and did so with intent to cause injury.
What kind of injury does Section 201 BNS cover?▼
The word injury is used in a wide sense. It can include harm to legal rights, property interests, reputation, or any disadvantage caused by the false official document.
Can a private person be charged under Section 201 BNS?▼
No, this section is meant for public servants only. If a private person is involved in making a false document, other BNS provisions may apply instead.
Does Section 201 BNS also cover electronic records and translations?▼
Yes. Section 201 BNS covers both documents and electronic records, and it applies when a public servant charged with preparing or translating them frames, prepares, or translates them in a manner known or believed to be incorrect with intent to cause injury or knowing that injury is likely.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·