BNS Section 186- Prohibition of fictitious stamps | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
Hello readers! Today, we are going to break down Section 186 of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. If you've been wondering what exactly this section covers and how it impacts our legal system, you're in the right place.
Bare Act Text
Prohibition of fictitious stamps.—(1) Whoever—
makes, knowingly utters, deals in or sells any fictitious stamp, or knowingly uses for any postal purpose any fictitious stamp; or
has in his possession, without lawful excuse, any fictitious stamp; or
makes or, without lawful excuse, has in his possession any die, plate, instrument or materials for making any fictitious stamp,
shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.
Any such stamp, die, plate, instrument or materials in the possession of any person for making any fictitious stamp may be seized and, if seized shall be forfeited.
In this section “fictitious stamp” means any stamp falsely purporting to be issued by Government for the purpose of denoting a rate of postage, or any facsimile or imitation or representation, whether on paper or otherwise, of any stamp issued by Government for that purpose.
In this section and also in sections 178 to 181 (both inclusive), and sections 183 to 185 (both inclusive) the word “Government”, when used in connection with, or in reference to any stamp issued for the purpose of denoting a rate of postage, shall, notwithstanding anything in clause (12) of section 2, be deemed to include the person or persons authorised by law to administer executive Government in any part of India or in any foreign country.
Procedural Details
Punishment
Fine
Nature of Offense
Non-cognizable
Bail Eligibility
Bailable
Compoundability
Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions)
Trial Court
Any Magistrate
Frequently Asked Questions about BNS Section 186
What is Section 186 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?
According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: Prohibition of fictitious stamps.—(1) Whoever—
makes, knowingly utters, deals in or sells any fictitious stamp, or knowingly uses for any postal purpose any fictitious stamp; or
has in his possession, without lawful excuse, any fictitious stamp; or
makes or, without lawful excuse, has in his possession any die, plate, instrument or materials for making any fictitious stamp,
shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.
Any such stamp, die, plate, instrument or materials in the possession of any person for making any fictitious stamp may be seized and, if seized shall be forfeited.
In this section “fictitious stamp” means any stamp falsely purporting to be issued by Government for the purpose of denoting a rate of postage, or any facsimile or imitation or representation, whether on paper or otherwise, of any stamp issued by Government for that purpose.
In this section and also in sections 178 to 181 (both inclusive), and sections 183 to 185 (both inclusive) the word “Government”, when used in connection with, or in reference to any stamp issued for the purpose of denoting a rate of postage, shall, notwithstanding anything in clause (12) of section 2, be deemed to include the person or persons authorised by law to administer executive Government in any part of India or in any foreign country.
What is the punishment under BNS Section186 ?
The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the new law as: Fine
Is BNS Section 186 bailable or non-bailable?
Under the new legal framework, this specific offense is classified as a Bailableoffense.
Is BNS Section 186 a cognizable offense?
The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense isNon-cognizable.
Which court has the jurisdiction to try cases under BNS Section 186 ?
Cases pertaining to this specific BNS section are triable by the Any Magistrate.
Can BNS Section 186 be compromised (Compoundable)?
The compoundable nature of this offense, meaning whether the parties can settle it out of court, is classified as: Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions).
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Pramod is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of StudyHub. He holds a Master's degree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geology, alongside more than 7+ years spent building and verifying competitive exam content for Indian aspirants. He leads StudyHub's editorial process across Indian Polity, the Constitution, Indian Economy, History, Geography, Science, and the platform's other subject areas — checking every article against primary sources (bare act text and Gazette notifications for constitutional topics, government and Economic Survey data for economy content, standard reference material elsewhere) and flagging it for re-verification whenever a relevant amendment, policy, or data update makes an earlier version outdated.