BNS Section 337 — Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc

CHAPTER XVIII OF OFFENCES RELATING TO DOCUMENTS AND TO PROPERTY MARKS

Criminal

Summary

Whoever forges a document or an electronic record that is meant to appear as a record or proceeding of or in a Court, or an identity document issued by the Government (including a voter identity card or Aadhaar Card), or a register of birth, marriage, or burial, or a register kept by a public servant in their official capacity, or a certificate or document that appears to be made by a public servant in their official capacity, or an authority to start or defend a lawsuit, or to take any proceedings in a lawsuit, or to confess judgment, or a power of attorney, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to a fine.

The Explanation clarifies that for this section, the term "register" includes any list, data, or record of any entries maintained in electronic form, as defined in clause (r) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Official Text

Whoever forges a document or an electronic record, purporting to be a record or proceeding of or in a Court or an identity document issued by Government including voter identity card or Aadhaar Card, or a register of birth, marriage or burial, or a register kept by a public servant as such, or a certificate or document purporting to be made by a public servant in his official capacity, or an authority to institute or defend a suit, or to take any proceedings therein, or to confess judgment, or a power of attorney, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, “register” includes any list, data or record of any entries maintained in the electronic form as defined in clause (r) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000).

Related Judgments

  • SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1531 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • SC (2025) Vol.6 p.280 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • SC (2024) Vol.8 p.670 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
  • SC (2025) Vol.7 p.105 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • SC (2025) Vol.8 p.966 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • SC (2024) Vol.12 p.335 — Supreme Court of India (2024)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

  • IPC §466 — Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc