Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XVIII: Of Offences Relating to Documents and to Property Marks
Section 340: Forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine
In plain words
A document or electronic record made wholly or partly by forgery is a "forged document". Fraudulently or dishonestly using one as genuine, knowing or having reason to believe it is forged, is punished in the same way as forging it.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
(1) A false document or electronic record made wholly or in part by forgery is designated a forged document or electronic record.
(2) Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document or electronic record which he knows or has reason to believe to be a forged document or electronic record, shall be punished in the same manner as if he had forged such document or electronic record.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 25 August 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 340
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.