Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XVIII: Of Offences Relating to Documents and to Property Marks
Section 343: Fraudulent cancellation, destruction, etc., of will, authority to adopt, or valuable security
In plain words
Fraudulently or dishonestly, or to cause damage or injury, cancelling, destroying, defacing or hiding a will, an authority to adopt a son or a valuable security, or trying to, or committing mischief to it, is punishable with imprisonment for life or up to seven years, and a fine.
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
Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly, or with intent to cause damage or injury to the public or to any person, cancels, destroys or defaces, or attempts to cancel, destroy or deface, or secretes or attempts to secrete any document which is or purports to be a will, or an authority to adopt a son, or any valuable security, or commits mischief in respect of such document, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
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 343
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.