Section 489E IPC: Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 489E IPC at a Glance
Section 489E IPC deals with making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes. It is bailable and non-cognizable, triable by any Magistrate; from 1 July 2024 it is replaced by Section 182 BNS.
None. The section provides only fine.
Section 489E IPC Bare Act Text
489E. Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes
(1) Whoever makes, or causes to be made, or uses for any purpose whatsoever, or delivers to any person, any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note shall be punished with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees.
(2) If any person, whose name appears on a document the making of which is an offence under sub-section (1), refuses, without lawful excuse, to disclose to a police-officer on being so required the name and address of the person by whom it was printed or otherwise made, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.
(3) Where the name of any person appears on any document in respect of which any person is charged with an offence under sub-section (1) or on any other document used or distributed in connection with that document it may, until the contrary is proved, be presumed that that person caused the document to be made.
Source: Section 489E, Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 489E IPC in Simple Words
Section 489E of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) punishes making, causing to be made, using for any purpose whatsoever, or delivering to any person, any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note. The punishment under the primary limb is fine which may extend to one hundred rupees.
If any person whose name appears on such a document refuses, without lawful excuse, to disclose to a police officer the name and address of the person by whom it was printed or made, that person is punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees. Under the third sub-section, where a person is named on such a document, it may be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that such person caused the document to be made.
The offences are non-cognizable and bailable, triable by any Magistrate, and not compoundable under Section 320 CrPC.
Ingredients of Section 489E IPC
- The accused made, caused to be made, used for any purpose whatsoever, or delivered to any person, any document
- The document purported to be, or in any way resembled, or so nearly resembled as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note
- For the refusal offence, the name of the accused appeared on a document the making of which constituted an offence under the section
- On being so required by a police officer, the accused refused without lawful excuse to disclose the name and address of the person who printed or otherwise made the document
Punishment Under Section 489E IPC
None. The section provides only fine.
Fine which may extend to one hundred rupees for making, using, or delivering resembling documents, and fine which may extend to two hundred rupees for refusal without lawful excuse to disclose the printer.
Making, using, or delivering a document resembling a currency-note or bank-note carries fine up to one hundred rupees, while refusing to disclose the printer carries fine up to two hundred rupees. The offences are non-cognizable, bailable, and triable by any Magistrate.
Example of Section 489E IPC
When Section 489E IPC Does Not Apply
- The document does not purport to be, and does not in any way resemble, a currency-note or a bank-note.
- The accused did not make, cause to be made, use, or deliver the document, and proves the contrary to rebut any presumption arising from his name appearing on it.
- A person whose name appears on the resembling document gives the police officer the printer's name and address when required to do so.
- A person named on the resembling document has a lawful excuse for not disclosing the name and address of the person who printed or made it.
Section 489E IPC in the BNS
Section 489E IPC is now covered under Section 182 BNS.
Section 489E IPC corresponds to Section 182 BNS. Section 182 BNS raises the maximum fine for making, using, or delivering documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes from one hundred rupees to three hundred rupees, and raises the fine for refusing to disclose the printer from two hundred rupees to six hundred rupees. The statutory presumption regarding persons named on such documents is preserved without change.
View detailed comparison (IPC 489E vs BNS 182) →FAQs on Section 489E IPC
What does Section 489E IPC punish?▼
Section 489E IPC punishes making, causing to be made, using for any purpose whatsoever, or delivering to any person any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note. It also punishes a person named on such a document who refuses, without lawful excuse, to disclose the printer to a police officer.
What is the punishment under Section 489E IPC?▼
The court may impose a fine extending up to one hundred rupees for making or delivering resembling documents, and a fine extending up to two hundred rupees for refusing without lawful excuse to disclose the printer. The section prescribes no imprisonment.
Must a document actually deceive someone to fall under Section 489E IPC?▼
No. The provision applies to any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, a currency-note or bank-note. Actual deception is not required.
Is an intention to defraud or deceive required under Section 489E IPC?▼
No. The section covers making, causing to be made, delivering, or using the resembling document for any purpose whatsoever, without requiring an intention to deceive.
Under Section 489E IPC, what legal duty applies to a person whose name appears on a resembling document?▼
Such person is required, on demand by a police officer, to disclose the name and address of the person who printed or otherwise made the document. Refusal without lawful excuse is a separate punishable offence.
Is an offence under Section 489E IPC bailable and cognizable?▼
The First Schedule to the Code of Criminal Procedure classifies both offences under this section as non-cognizable and bailable, triable by any Magistrate. The police cannot investigate without an order under Section 155(2) CrPC.
Can an offence under Section 489E IPC be compounded?▼
No. Section 320 CrPC does not list Section 489E IPC, meaning the offence cannot be compounded.
Where is Section 489E IPC placed in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?▼
Section 489E IPC is replaced by Section 182 BNS in Chapter X. Section 182 BNS increases the maximum fines to three hundred rupees and six hundred rupees while preserving the statutory text and presumption.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·