Section 178 in THE BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023 – BNS

CHAPTER X
OF OFFENCES RELATING TO COIN, CURRENCY-NOTES, BANK-NOTES, AND GOVERNMENT STAMPS

Counterfeiting
coin,
Government
stamps,
currency-notes
or bank-notes.

  1. Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process
    of counterfeiting, any coin, stamp issued by Government for the purpose of revenue,
    currency-note or bank-note, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment
    of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
    Explanation.—For the purposes of this Chapter,—
    (1) the expression “bank-note” means a promissory note or engagement for the
    payment of money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business
    of banking in any part of the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or
    Sovereign Power, and intended to be used as equivalent to, or as a substitute for
    money;
    (2) “coin” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2 of the
    Coinage Act, 2011 and includes metal used for the time being as money and is stamped
    and issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power intended to be
    so used;
    (3) a person commits the offence of “counterfeiting Government stamp” who
    counterfeits by causing a genuine stamp of one denomination to appear like a genuine
    stamp of a different denomination;
    (4) a person commits the offence of counterfeiting coin who intending to practise
    deception, or knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, causes a
    genuine coin to appear like a different coin; and
    (5) the offence of “counterfeiting coin” includes diminishing the weight or
    alteration of the composition, or alteration of the appearance of the coin.