BNS Section 337: Forgery of a record of a court or public register (2026)
What Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) covers: forgery of a record of a court, a public register, an identity document, or a certificate, how it maps to old Section 466 of the IPC, the punishment, and the classification. Last verified October 2026.
Explainer · Criminal Law · BNS
Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) punishes forgery of a record of a court, a public register, a key identity document, or a certificate made by a public servant. It replaced Section 466 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) from 1 July 2024. The punishment is imprisonment of either description up to seven years, and a fine. This is a graver form of forgery because it targets official records that the public and the courts must be able to trust. This explainer sets out what Section 337 covers, how it maps to the old law, the punishment, and the classification. Last verified October 2026.
- New section: forgery of a court record or public register is Section 337 of the BNS, in force since 1 July 2024.
- Old section: it replaced Section 466 of the IPC.
- Punishment: imprisonment up to seven years and a fine.
- Classification: non-cognizable, non-bailable, triable by a Magistrate of the first class.
01Why the section number matters now
Since 1 July 2024 the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). The forgery provisions moved. Forgery of a court record or public register, which lawyers knew as Section 466 of the IPC, is now Section 337 of the BNS.
This matters in practice. An FIR for an offence committed on or after 1 July 2024 cites Section 337. An older matter keeps its IPC number, because the law that applies is the law on the date of the offence. So for some years both numbers will appear in live files.
02What Section 337 covers
Section 337 of the BNS punishes forgery of documents that carry official weight. It reaches a wide list of records whose integrity the system depends on.
- a record or proceeding of a court of justice;
- a register of birth, baptism, marriage or burial;
- a register kept by a public servant as such, or a certificate or document made by a public servant in an official capacity;
- an identity document issued by the Government, which the section expressly includes, such as a voter identity card or an Aadhaar card;
- an authority to institute or defend a suit, or to take any proceedings, or to confess judgment, or a power of attorney.
Why it is treated as grave
These records are trusted by the public and the courts, so a forgery here does wider harm than an ordinary false document. Section 337 builds on the definition of a false document in Section 335 of the BNS. An explanation makes clear that "register" includes an electronic list, data or record under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
03Key ingredients
To bring a case under Section 337, the prosecution must show forgery, as defined in the BNS, of one of the listed classes of record.
- Forgery: making a false document or false electronic record (as defined in Section 335) for one of the purposes that amount to forgery.
- A protected class of record: the forged document must be, or purport to be, one of the official records the section lists.
Because the target is an official record, proof that the document falls within one of the listed classes is central to the charge.
04Old to new: IPC 466 to BNS 337
Section 466 of the IPC is now Section 337 of the BNS. The offence is carried over and the list of identity documents is made explicit.
| Point | Old law (IPC) | New law (BNS) |
|---|---|---|
| Forgery of court record or public register, etc. | Section 466 | Section 337 |
| Maximum imprisonment | Seven years | Seven years |
| Fine | Yes | Yes |
The BNS keeps the seven-year ceiling and spells out that Government-issued identity documents, including a voter identity card and an Aadhaar card, fall within the section.
05Punishment and classification
The punishment under Section 337 is imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and a fine.
On classification, the offence under Section 337 is:
- Non-cognizable: the police generally need an order of a Magistrate before they register and investigate.
- Non-bailable: bail is not a matter of right and is decided by the court.
- Triable by a Magistrate of the first class.
Read the First Schedule
Classification for every BNS offence is set out in the First Schedule of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS). Always check the current schedule entry before you act.
06What changed from the old law
For this offence, the change is mainly the number, and the clearer naming of Government identity documents within the protected list. The ingredients and the seven-year ceiling are carried over from Section 466 of the IPC, so older judgments on Section 466 still guide how Section 337 is read.
The express mention of identity documents like the voter identity card and Aadhaar reflects how much public life now runs on such records, and removes any doubt that forging them falls here.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Forgery of an official record tends to surface inside service, election, property or banking disputes, and the same facts can be live in a trial court, a High Court and the Supreme Court together. Claw lets you search cases, orders and hearing dates across 9,102 courts, benches and forums to follow all of it. Its collection has grown beyond 30 crore judgments, with Supreme Court coverage from 1950 and High Court coverage from 1990, and searches usually land in under five seconds, so you can trace the old Section 466 and the new Section 337 or watch a matter by party or advocate name.
Any case documents you upload stay out of Claw's AI model training. Open a free Claw account to follow a Section 337 matter by party or advocate name and surface how courts treated the earlier Section 466. To search more widely across the law, see case search across Indian courts.
08Sources and further reading
- India Code (official text of the BNS, 2023): indiacode.nic.in
- PRS Legislative Research (BNS overview and IPC comparison): prsindia.org
- Section 337, BNS (bare text): devgan.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This explainer is general information, not legal advice. The law changes through amendments and judgments, so check the current text and take advice from counsel before you act.
09Frequently asked questions
What is Section 466 IPC in the BNS?
Section 466 of the IPC, forgery of a record of a court or public register, is now Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The offence is carried over, and the section expressly includes Government identity documents such as a voter identity card and an Aadhaar card.
What is the punishment under BNS Section 337?
Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and a fine. Last verified October 2026.
Is an offence under BNS Section 337 bailable?
No. Section 337 is non-bailable. It is also non-cognizable, so the police usually need a Magistrate's order before they investigate, and it is triable by a Magistrate of the first class.
Does forging an Aadhaar or voter ID fall under Section 337?
Yes. Section 337 expressly includes identity documents issued by the Government, such as a voter identity card and an Aadhaar card, within the records it protects.
Does old case law on Section 466 still apply?
In large part, yes. Because the ingredients and the seven-year ceiling are carried over, judgments on Section 466 of the IPC still guide how Section 337 of the BNS is read.
Can I track a case under Section 337 in Claw?
Yes. A free Claw account lets you search and track this offence by section, party or advocate name across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with most results in under five seconds. Claw tracks and researches the matter; it does not give legal advice.