Using as true a certificate known to be false
What this section does
This section penalises the corrupt use or attempted use of a certificate as true when the person knows it to be false in any material point. It is the user-side counterpart to section 234 (which targets the issuer) and carries the same punishment as giving false evidence.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Quick reference
- Punishment
- Same as the punishment for giving false evidence (as applicable under the relevant section).
- Triable by
- Court determined by the applicable false-evidence punishment provision
- Cognizable
- Depends
- Bailable
- Depends
- Compoundable
- No
Ingredients (what prosecution must prove)
- The accused used or attempted to use a certificate as a true certificate
- The accused knew the certificate to be false in a material point
- The use was corrupt
Practitioner note
Complements section 234; both the issuer and the corrupt user of a false certificate face equivalent liability.
Derived from IPC s.198.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 235, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 235 forms part of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which replaced the Indian Penal Code 1860 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.