IPC Section 484 — Counterfeiting a mark used by a public servant

offences relating to documents and to property marks

Criminal

Summary

If a person makes a fake copy of an official mark used by a government employee, or uses a fake mark knowing it is not real, they can be sent to jail for up to three years and also have to pay a fine. This applies to any mark that a public servant uses to show who made an item, when or where it was made, its quality, that it passed through a specific office, or that it qualifies for an exemption.

Official Text

Whoever counterfeits any property mark used by a public servant, or any mark used by a public servant to denote that any property has been manufactured by a particular person or at a particular time or place, or that the property is of a particular quality or has passed through a particular office, or that it is entitled to any exemption, or uses as genuine any such mark knowing the same to be counterfeit, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Related Judgments

  • DUTT v. STATE — Supreme Court of India (1966)
  • THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH v. HAFIZ MOHAMMAD ISMAIL AND HAFIZ JAWED ALI — Supreme Court of India (1960)
  • THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH v. HAFIZ MOHAMMAD ISMAIL AND HAFIZ JAWED ALI — Supreme Court of India (1960)
  • STATE OF KERALA v. MATHAI VERGHESE — Supreme Court of India (1987)
  • DIPAKBHAI JAGDISHCHANDRA PATEL v. STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER — Supreme Court of India (2019)
  • SC (2025) Vol.7 p.573 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
  • P. JAIN v. S. PRASAD — Supreme Court of India (1973)
  • COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, NAGPUR v. RAI BAHADUR JAIRAM VALJI AND OTHERS — Supreme Court of India (S)

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