Forgery Under the BNS (Section 336): IPC 463 and 465 Mapping (2026)

Explainer · Criminal Law · BNS

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

Forgery is an offence under Section 336 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). It is the making of a false document or false electronic record with a dishonest or fraudulent intent. It carries forward Section 463 of the old IPC (the definition) and Section 465 (the punishment). The basic punishment is imprisonment of up to two years, or fine, or both. Last verified October 2026.

01The problem this section answers

A forged document can do great damage with little effort: a faked signature on a cheque, a doctored will, a made up degree, a false agreement, or a tampered electronic record. The harm shows up when someone relies on the paper as if it were genuine.

The law on forgery has two parts. First, making the false document is an offence. Second, using a document you know to be forged is a separate offence. The BNS keeps both, and it treats electronic records on the same footing as paper.

02What BNS Section 336 covers

Section 336 of the BNS defines and punishes forgery. Section 336(1) sets the meaning. A person commits forgery when he makes a false document or false electronic record, or part of one, with intent to:

• cause damage or injury to the public or to any person;
• support any claim or title;
• cause any person to part with property;
• enter into an express or implied contract; or
• commit fraud, or so that fraud may be committed.

The BNS also keeps the graded and related offences. Section 336(3) covers forgery intended to be used for cheating, Section 336(4) covers forgery to harm reputation, Section 337 covers forgery of court records and public registers, Section 338 covers forgery of valuable security or a will, and Section 340 covers using a forged document or electronic record as genuine.

03IPC 463 and 465 to BNS 336 mapping

The old Indian Penal Code set out forgery across a block of sections. The BNS renumbers them and gathers the core offence into Section 336.

So the search term "section 465 IPC in BNS" points to Section 336(2). For the full renumbering, see our IPC to BNS section mapping. Forgery is often charged with cheating under BNS Section 318.

04Punishment, cognizable and bailable

The punishment depends on the type of forgery.

• Cognizable or not: general forgery under Section 336(2) is treated as non-cognizable, while the serious forms (forgery for cheating, of court records, or of a valuable security) are cognizable.
• Bailable or not: general forgery under Section 336(2) is treated as bailable; the serious forms are non-bailable.
• Triable by: Magistrate of the first class, and the most serious categories by higher courts.

05What changed from the old law

The core change is renumbering and the move to one gathered section, not a change in what forgery means. The definition in Section 336(1) carries forward old IPC Section 463 almost word for word, and electronic records are expressly covered, as they were after the Information Technology Act amendments to the old Code.

Forgery under the BNS is the same old offence of making a false document with a dishonest intent, now gathered into Section 336, with electronic records treated like paper.

The punishment for general forgery stays at up to two years, matching old IPC Section 465, and the serious forms keep their heavy sentences. A case for an act before 1 July 2024 continues under the IPC, while a complaint for an act on or after that date uses BNS Section 336.

06Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Forgery cases are charged and litigated across trial courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court, often alongside cheating and breach of trust. Claw lets you search and track cases, orders and judgments by section, party or advocate across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with 30 crore+ judgments and results in under 5 seconds. You can follow a live matter and get cause lists and WhatsApp and email alerts before each hearing. To search this offence across the court system, start with case search across Indian courts.

Create a FREE Claw account to search and track cases under this section by party or advocate name. Claw does not use customer case documents to train AI models.

07Sources and further reading

• India Code (official text of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023): indiacode.nic.in
• Ministry of Home Affairs (new criminal laws): mha.gov.in
• Bare text of BNS Section 336: devgan.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

This explainer is general information, not legal advice. The new criminal laws are still being read by the courts, so check the current text and take advice from counsel on your own facts.

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