Section 276: Prohibition of forgery

1) No person shall commit, or cause to be committed, forgery.

2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), a person who makes a false document or false electronic record or a part or portion of a document or electronic record, with intent to cause any harm, injury or damage to the public or to any person or to render any benefit to the person himself or herself or to any person shall be considered to commit forgery.

Explanation: For the purposes of this Section, –

(a) “document” means signature, thumb impression, seal affixed on any document and the figure, word, date or any other content set forth in any document.

(b) “making a false document” means any of the following acts:

(1) to dishonestly prepare a document or part of a document, make or transmit an electronic record, archive digital data in an electronic record, with the intention of causing it to be believed that such document was made, written, signed or sealed by the person or authority who has not actually made, written, signed or sealed the document,

(2) to, without lawful authority or dishonestly, add or delete any content to or from, strike out, change or otherwise alter or make unclear any content of a document or electronic record,

(3) to cause any person to make, sign, seal, or alter any content of a document knowing that such person, by reason of being of unsound mind due to mental illness or intoxication of liquors or narcotics or by reason of deception practiced on him or her, cannot know the meaning of any contents set down in the document,

(4) to prepare or use any envelope, paper signed and delivered or any seal delivered for a work or purpose other than that for which such envelope, paper or seal was signed and delivered.

3) A person who commits the offence referred to in sub-section (1) shall be liable to the following sentence:

(a) A sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees, in the case of forgery of a document authenticated by the President,

(b) A sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding eight years and a fine not exceeding eighty thousand rupees, in the case of forgery of a judgment or order of a court,

(c) A sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years and a fine not exceeding seventy thousand rupees, in the case of forgery of a government or public document other than that referred to in clauses (a) and (b),

(d) A sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding fifty thousand rupees, in the case of forgery of a document other than that referred to in clauses (a), (b) and (c).

4) A person who has already disposed of property which he or she has obtained by committing forgery shall be liable to an additional fine equal to the claimed amount, in addition to the sentence referred to in sub-section (3).

5) Where a person obtains any property by committing forgery, the person shall return such property to the concerned owner; and in the event that such property has already been disposed of, the claimed amount of such property shall be caused to be recovered to the owner from any other property of the offender.