Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc
What this section does
Creates an aggravated forgery offence for documents of high public importance, including court records, government-issued identity documents (voter ID, Aadhaar), registers of birth/marriage/burial, official certificates, powers of attorney, and authorities to institute or defend legal proceedings. The Explanation extends 'register' to electronic records.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Quick reference
- Punishment
- Imprisonment of either description up to 7 years, and fine
- Triable by
- Magistrate of First Class
- Cognizable
- Yes
- Bailable
- No
- Compoundable
- No
Ingredients (what prosecution must prove)
- Commission of forgery as defined in section 336
- The forged document purports to be a court record or proceeding, a government-issued identity document, a register of birth/marriage/burial, a public servant's official certificate, an authority to institute or defend a suit or confess judgment, or a power of attorney
Practitioner note
BNS expressly adds voter identity cards and Aadhaar cards to the list of protected documents, which were not mentioned in the IPC. The Explanation incorporates the definition of 'electronic form' from the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Derived from IPC s.466.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 337, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 337 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.