What is the punishment under BNS Section 338?

The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the new law as: Life Imprisonment or Imprisonment up to Ten Year(s) + Fine.

Is BNS Section 338 bailable or non-bailable?

Under the new legal framework, this specific offense is classified as a Non-bailable offense.

Is BNS Section 338 a cognizable offense?

The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense is Cognizable.

Which court has the jurisdiction to try cases under BNS Section 338?

Cases pertaining to this specific BNS section are triable by the Court of Session.

Can BNS Section 338 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).

BNS Section 338- Forgery of valuable security, will, etc | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023

Hello readers! Today, we are going to break down Section 338 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

Forgery of valuable security, will, etc.—Whoever forges a document which purports to be a valuable security or a will, or an authority to adopt a son, or which purports to give authority to any person to make or transfer any valuable security, or to receive the principal, interest or dividends thereon, or to receive or deliver any money, movable property, or valuable security, or any document purporting to be an acquittance or receipt acknowledging the payment of money, or an acquittance or receipt for the delivery of any movable property or valuable security, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Procedural Details

Punishment

Life Imprisonment or Imprisonment up to Ten Year(s) + Fine

Nature of Offense

Cognizable

Bail Eligibility

Non-bailable

Compoundability

Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions)

Trial Court

Court of Session

Frequently Asked Questions about BNS Section 338

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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.