IPC Section 489E — Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes

currency-notes and bank-notes

Criminal

Summary

Making, causing someone else to make, using, or giving to another person any document that looks like or is very similar to a currency note or bank note, in a way that could deceive someone, is punishable by a fine of up to one hundred rupees.

If a person whose name appears on such a document refuses, without a valid reason, to tell a police officer who printed or made it, that person can be fined up to two hundred rupees.

When a person is charged with making or using such a document, and their name appears on it or on any related document, the law presumes that they caused the document to be made, unless they prove otherwise.

Official Text

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.
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.
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.

Related Judgments

  • STATE OF KERALA v. MATHAI VERGHESE — Supreme Court of India (1987)
  • SARABHAI M. CHEMICALS v. C.C.E., VADODARA — Supreme Court of India (S)
  • A/177/2001 — Madras High Court (2001)
  • DUTT v. STATE — Supreme Court of India (1966)
  • S.C.R. 613 UNION OF INDIA v. V. SRI HARAN — Supreme Court of India (2015)
  • CRL A/433/1995 — Madras High Court (1995)
  • BHARATH BOOSHAN AGGARWAL v. STATE OF KERALA — Supreme Court of India (2021)
  • CRL RC/527/2018 — Madras High Court (2018)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

  • BNS §182 — Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes