Forgery meaning in Hindi and English: BNS 335–340 with examples

Meaning: a false document is more than an incorrect statement

Forgery is commonly translated as जालसाजी or कूटरचना. In the BNS, the legal question begins with section 335’s false document or false electronic record, followed by section 336’s specified intent. A document containing an error or an allegation that turns out to be wrong does not by itself establish every element of forgery.

Section 335 includes dishonest or fraudulent creation purporting to be by someone without their authority, unauthorised material alteration, and specified deception or incapacity when obtaining execution. It also contains explanations and illustrations: signing one’s own name is not an automatic defence if the document deceptively purports to be someone else’s act.

Sources: MHA Gazette: BNS sections 335–340

Making, intention, document type and use

Read the sequence rather than choosing a section from its number alone. Section 335 explains making a false document. Section 336 identifies forgery where the false document or record is made with a listed intent, such as causing injury, supporting a claim or title, inducing a transfer of property or contract, or committing fraud.

Sections 337 and 338 address specified document categories. Section 339 addresses knowing possession of those specified forged documents with an intention that they be fraudulently or dishonestly used as genuine. Section 340(2) addresses fraudulent or dishonest use as genuine with knowledge or reason to believe that the record is forged. Possession of an unfamiliar file, without the required knowledge and intent, should not be treated as automatically satisfying section 339.

Sources: MHA Gazette: BNS sections 335–340

Punishment depends on the provision

Section 336(2) provides up to two years, or fine, or both for forgery. Under 336(3), forgery intended for cheating carries up to seven years and liability to fine; 336(4), concerning intended or likely harm to reputation, provides up to three years and liability to fine. These are distinct rules, not one uniform punishment for all forged documents.

Section 337 covers specified court/public records and other listed documents, with up to seven years and liability to fine. Section 338 covers valuable securities, wills and other listed instruments, with life imprisonment or up to ten years and liability to fine. Check the actual document category rather than treating every private paper as a section 338 instrument.

For section 339 possession, a section 337 category carries up to seven years and liability to fine; a section 338 category carries life imprisonment or up to seven years and liability to fine. Section 340(2) punishes the specified use in the same manner as forging the relevant document. The seven-year alternative in 339 must not be confused with the ten-year alternative in 338.

Sources: MHA Gazette: BNS sections 335–340

BNS numbers are not IPC numbers

Use the Act name alongside the number. IPC 338 concerned grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety; BNS 338 concerns forgery of specified instruments. The IPC/BNS converter and linked reference text help identify the right provision, but a mapping is not a ruling about which law governs a particular incident.

Sources: MHA Gazette: BNS sections 335–340

Comparison at a glance

Examples

Common questions

Are electronic records covered?

Yes. Relevant provisions expressly address electronic records. Identify the particular act, authority, alteration, knowledge and intent; a screenshot alone does not settle all these questions.

Is forgery always bailable or always non-bailable?

No single classification should be applied to the whole cluster. Identify the exact offence/subsection and consult its BNSS First Schedule entry, available on the linked section pages.