BNS Section 341
What punishment does the law prescribe for making or possessing a counterfeit seal intended for forgery?
Short answer
The law can impose life imprisonment or up to seven years with a fine for making or possessing a counterfeit seal for forgery, and lesser terms for other cases.
In detail
Under Section 341 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, anyone who makes or counterfeits a seal, plate or similar instrument with the purpose of using it for a forgery that falls under section 338 faces the harshest penalty: life imprisonment, or imprisonment for up to seven years, plus a fine. If the counterfeit instrument is intended for any other forgery covered in the same chapter, the offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined. Simply possessing a known counterfeit seal, even without a forgery plan, can lead to imprisonment for up to three years and a fine. Moreover, anyone who fraudulently uses a counterfeit seal as if it were genuine is punished in the same way as the maker or counterfeiter. The provision therefore targets both the creation and the misuse of fake sealing tools, assigning severe custodial sentences and monetary penalties based on the intent and actual use.
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People also ask
- What penalty applies for using a counterfeit seal as if it were genuine?
- Does merely possessing a counterfeit seal without intent to forge still attract a fine?
Not legal advice. This is general legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts — speak to a lawyer about your situation.