THE PENAL CODE, 1860 (ACT NO. XLV OF 1860) PART 10

Punishment for same offence when committed by person entrusted with custody

Penalty for negligent conduct of bank officers and employees

Penalty for defrauding banking company

Forgery

Of the loss of property of Banking Company

462A. Whoever, being an officer or employee of a banking company, by his negligent conduct in dealing with a banking transaction allows any customer of the company or any other person to cause loss of property to the company shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.

Explanation.-An officer or employee of a banking company shall be guilty or negligent conduct if in discharging his duties he fails, either wilfully or negligently, to follow any direction of law prescribing the mode in which such duties are to be discharged.

462B. Whoever fraudulently receives any benefit from a banking company in the course of any banking transaction shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.

Explanation.-In section 462A and in this section “banking company” means-

(a) banking company as defined in section 5(c) of the Banking Company Ordinance, 1962 (LVII of 1962);

(a)    a bank constituted under the Bangladesh Banks (Nationaliza-tion) Order, 1972 (P.O. No. 26 of 1972);

(b)    a financial institution as defined in section 50(c) of the Bangladesh Bank Order1972 (P.O. No. 127 of 1972);

(c)    Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Sangstha established under the Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Sangstha Order, 1972 (P. O. No. 128 of 1972);

(d)    Bangladesh Shilpa Bank established under the Bangladesh Shilpa Bank Order. 1972 (P.O. No. 129 of 1972);

(e)    Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation established under the Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation Order, 1973 (P.O. No. 7 of 1973);

(g)    Bangladesh Krishi Bank established under the Bangladesh Krishi Bank Order1973 (P.O. No. 27 of 1973);

(h)    Investment Corporation of Bangladesh established under the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh Ordinance1976 (XL of 1976);

(i)    Grameen Bank established under the Grameen Bank Ordinance, 1983 (XLVI of 1983);

(j)    Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank established under the Rajshahi Krishi Unnavan Bank Ordinance1986 (LVIII of 1986);

(k)    a bank conducted in accordance with Islamic shariah.]

CHAPTER XVIII

OF OFFENCES RELATING TO DOCUMENTS AND TO TRADE OR PROPERTY MARKS

463. Whoever makes any false document or part of a document, with intent to cause damage or injury, to the public or to any person, or to support any claim or title, or to cause any person to part with property, or to enter into any express or implied contract,

or with intend to commit fraud or that fraud may be committed, commits forgery.

Making a false document

464. A person is said to make a false document-

Firstly.-Who dishonesty or fraudulently makes, signs, seals or executes a document or part of a document, or makes any mark denoting the execution of a document, with the intention of causing it to be believed that such document or part of a document was made, signed, sealed or executed by or by the authority of a person by whom or by whose authority he knows that it was not made, signed, sealed or executed, or at a time at which he knows that it was not made, signed, sealed or executed; or

Secondly.-Who, without lawful authority, dishonestly or fraudulently, by cancellation or otherwise, alters a document in any material part thereof, after it has been made or executed either by himself or by any other person, whether such person be living or dead at the time of such alteration; or

Thirdly.-Who dishonestly or fraudulently causes any person to sign, seal, execute or alter a document, knowing that such person by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication cannot, or that by reason of deception practiced upon him he does not know the contents of the document or the nature of the alteration.

Illustrations

(a)    A has a letter of credit upon B for taka 10,000, written by Z. A, in order to defraud B, adds a cipher to the 10,000 and makes the sum 1,00,000, intending that it may be believed by B that Z so wrote the letter. A has committed forgery.

(b)    A, without Z’s authority, affixes Z’s seal to a document purporting to be a conveyance of an estate from Z to A, with the intention of selling the estate to B and thereby of obtaining from B the purchase-money. A has committed forgery.

(c)    A picks up a cheque on a banker signed by B, payable to bearer, but without any sum having been inserted in the cheque. A fraudulently fills up the cheque by inserting the sum of ten thousand taka. A commits forgery.

(d)    A leaves with B, his agent, a cheque on a banker, signed by A, without inserting the sum payable and authorizes B to fill up the cheque by inserting a sum not exceeding ten thousand taka for the purpose of making certain payments. B fraudulently fills up the cheque by inserting the sum of twenty thousand taka. B commits forgery.

(e)    A draws a bill of exchange on himself in the name of B without B’s authority, intending to discount it as a genuine bill with a banker and intending to take up the bill on its maturity. Here, as A draws the bill with intent to deceive the banker by leading him to suppose that he had the security of B, and thereby to discount the bill, A is guilty of forgery.

(f)    Z’s will contains these words- “I direct that all my remaining property be equally divided between A, B and C.” A dishonestly scratches out B’s name, intending that it may be believed that the whole was left to himself and C. A has committed forgery.

(g)    A endorses a Government promissory note and makes it payable to Z or his order by writing on the bill the words “pay to Z or his order” and signing the endorsement. B dishonestly erases the words “pay to Z or his order” and thereby converts the special endorsement into a blank endorsement. B commits forgery.

(h)    A sells and conveys an estate to Z. A afterwards, in order to defraud Z of his estate executes a conveyance of the same estate to B, dated six months earlier than the date of the conveyance to Z, intending it to be believed that he had conveyed the estate to B before he conveyed it to Z. A has committed forgery.

(i)    Z dictates his will to A. A intentionally writes down a different legatee from the legatee named by Z, and by representing to Z that he has prepared the will according to his instructions, induces Z to sign the will. A has committed forgery.

(j)    A writes a letter and signs it with B’s name without B’s authority, certifying that A is a man of good character and in distressed circumstances from unforeseen misfortune, intending by means of such letter to obtain alms from Z and other persons. Here, as A made a false document in order to induce Z to part with property, A has committed forgery.

(k)    A without B’s authority writes a letter and signs it in B’s name certifying to A’s character, intending thereby to obtain employment under Z. A has committed forgery inasmuch as he intended to deceive Z by the forged certificate, and thereby to induce Z to enter into an express or implied contract for service.

Explanation 1.-A man’s signature of his own name may amount to forgery.

Illustrations

(a)    A signs his own name to a bill of exchange, intending that it may be believed that the bill was drawn by another person of the same name. A has committed forgery.

(b)    A writes the word “accepted” on a piece of paper and signs it with Z’s name, in order that B may afterwards write on the paper a bill of exchange drawn by B upon Z, and negotiate the bill as though it had been accepted by Z. A is guilty of forgery; and if B, knowing the fact, draws the bill upon the paper pursuant to A’s intention, B is also guilty of forgery.

(c)    A picks up a bill of exchange payable to the order of a different person of the same name. A endorses the bill in his own name, intending to cause it to be believed that it was endorsed by the person to whose order it was payable, Here A has committed forgery.

(d)    A purchases an estate sold under execution of a decree against B. B, after the seizure of the estate, in collusion with Z, executes a lease of the estate, to Z at a nominal rent and for a long period and dates the lease six months prior to the seizure, with intent to defraud A, and to cause it to be believed that the lease was granted before the seizure. B, though he executes the lease in his own name, commits forgery by antedating it.

(e)    A, a trader, in anticipation of insolvency, lodges effects with B for A’s benefit, and with intent to defraud his creditors; and in order to give a colour to the transaction, writes a promissory note binding himself to pay to B a sum for value received, and antedates the note, intending that it may be believed to have been made before A was on the point of insolvency. A has committed forgery under the first head of the definition.

Explanation 2.- The making of a false document in the name of a fictitious person, intending it to be believed that the document was made by a real person, or in the name of a deceased person, intending it to be believed that the document was made by the person in his lifetime, may amount to forgery.

Illustration

A draws a bill of exchange upon a fictitious person, and fraudulently accepts the bill in the name of such fictitious person with intent to negotiate it. A commits forgery.

Punishment for forgery

465. Whoever commits forgery shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc

466. Whoever forges a document, purporting to be a record or proceeding of or in a Court of Justice, or a register of birth, baptism, marriage or burial, or a register kept by a public servant as such, or a certificate or document purporting to be made by a public servant in his official capacity, or an authority to institute or defend a suit, or to take any proceedings therein, or to confess judgment, or a power of attorney, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Forgery of valuable security, will, etc

467. 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, moveable property, or valuable security, or any document purporting to be an acquaintance or receipt acknowledging the payment of money, or an acquaintance or receipt for the delivery of any moveable property or valuable security, shall be punished with 152[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.

Forgery for purpose of cheating

468. Whoever commits forgery, intending that the document forged shall be used for the purpose of cheating, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be to liable to fine.

Forgery for purpose of harming reputation

469. Whoever commits forgery, intending that the document forged shall harm the reputation of any party, or knowing that it is likely to be used for that purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Forged document

470. A false document made wholly or in part by forgery is designated “a forged document”.

Using as genuine a forged document

471. Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document which he knows or has reason to believe to be a forged document, shall be punished in the same manner as if he had forged such document.

Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc, with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 467

472. Whoever makes or counterfeits any seal, plate or other instrument for making an impression, intending that the same shall be used for the purpose of committing any forgery which would be punishable under section 467 of this Code, or, with such intent, has in his possession any such seal, plate or other instrument, knowing the same to be counterfeit, shall be punishable with 153[imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc, with intent to commit forgery punishable otherwise

473. Whoever makes or counterfeits any seal, plate or other instrument for making an impression, intending that the same shall be used for the purpose of committing any forgery which would be punishable under any section of this chapter other than section 467, or, with such intend, has in his possession any such seal, plate or other instrument, knowing the same to be counterfeit, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Having possession of document described in section 466 or 467, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine

474. Whoever has in his possession any document, knowing the same to be forged, and intending that the same shall fraudulently or dishonestly be used as genuine, shall, if the document is one of the description mentioned in section 466 of this Code, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if the document is one of the description mentioned in section 467, shall be punished with 154imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents described in section 467, or possessing counterfeit marked material

475. Whoever counterfeits upon, or in the substance of, any material, any device or mark used for the purpose of authenticating any document described in section 467 of this Code, intending that such device or mark shall be used for the purpose of giving the appearance of authenticity to any document then forged or thereafter to be forged on such material or who, with such intent, has in his possession any material upon or in the substance of which any such device or mark has been counterfeited, shall be punished with [imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents other than those described in section 467, or possessing counterfeit marked material

476. Whoever counterfeits upon, or in the substance of, any material, any device or mark used for the purpose of authenticating any document other than the document described in section 467 of this Code, intending that such device or mark shall be used for the purpose of giving the appearance of authenticity to any document then forged or thereafter to be forged on such material, or who, with such intent, has in his possession any material upon or in the substance of which any such device or mark has been counterfeited, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Fraudulent cancellation, destruction, etc, of will, authority to adopt, or valuable security

477. Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly, or with intent to cause damage or injury to the public or to any person, cancels, destroys or defaces, or attempts to cancel, destroy or deface, or secrets or attempts to secret any document which is or purports to be a will, or an authority to adopt a son, or any valuable security, or commits mischief in respect to such document, shall be punished with 155imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Falsification of accounts

156477A. Whoever, being a clerk, officer or servant, or employed or acting in the capacity of a clerk, officer or servant, wilfully, and with intent to defraud, destroys, alters, mutilates or falsifies any book, paper, writing, valuable security or account which belongs to or is in the possession of his employer, or has been received by him for or on behalf of his employer, or wilfully, and with intent to defraud, makes or abets the making of any false entry in, or omits or alters or abets the omission or alteration of any material particular from or in, any such book, paper, writing, valuable security or account, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.

Explanation.-It shall be sufficient in any charge under this section to allege a general intent to defraud without naming any particular person intended to be defrauded or specifying any particular sum of money intended to be the subject of the fraud, or any particular day on which the offence was committed.]

Trade mark

Of Trade, Property and Other Marks

478. A mark used for denoting that goods are the manufacture or merchandise of a particular person is called a trade mark, and for the purposes of this Code the expression “trade mark” includes any trade mark which is registered in the register of trade marks kept under the Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Act, 1883, and any trade mark which, either with or without registration, is protected by law in any British possession or Foreign State to which the provisions of the one hundred and third section of the Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Act,1883, are, under Order-in-Council, for the time being applicable.

Property mark

479. A mark used for denoting that moveable property belongs to a particular person is called a property mark.

Using a false trade mark

480. Whoever marks any goods or any case, package or other receptacle containing goods, or uses any case, package or other receptacle with any mark thereon, in a manner reasonably calculated to cause it to be believed that the goods so marked, or any good contained in any such receptacle so marked, are the manufacture or merchandise of a person whose manufacture or merchandise they are not, is said to use a false trade mark.

Using a false property mark

481. Whoever marks any moveable property or goods or any case, package or other receptacle containing moveable property or goods, or uses any case, package or other receptacle having any mark thereon, in a manner reasonably calculated to cause it to be believed that the property or goods so marked, or any property or goods contained in any such receptacle so marked, belong to a person to whom they do not belong, is said to use a false property mark.

Punishment for using a false trade mark or property mark

482. Whoever use any false trade mark or any false property mark shall, unless he proves that he acted without intent to defraud, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

Counterfeiting a trade mark or property mark used by another

483. Whoever counterfeits any trade mark or property mark used by any other person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Counterfeiting a mark used by a public servant

484. Whoever counterfeits any property mark used by a public servant, or any mark used by a public servant to denote that any property has been manufactured by a particular person or at a particular time or place, or that the property is of a particular quality or has passed through a particular office, or that it is entitled to any exemption, or uses as genuine any such mark knowing the same to be counterfeit, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Making or possession of any instrument for counterfeiting a trade mark or property mark

485. Whoever makes or has in his possession any die, plate or other instrument for the purpose of counterfeiting a trade mark or property mark, or has in his possession a trade mark or property mark for the purpose of denoting that, any goods are the manufacture or merchandise of a person whose manufacture or merchandise they are not, or that they belong to a person to whom they do not belong, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Selling goods marked with a counterfeit trade mark or property mark

486. Whoever sells, or exposes, or has in possession for sale or any purpose of trade or manufacture, any goods or thing with a counterfeit trade mark or property mark affixed to or impressed upon the same or to or upon any case, package or other receptacle in which such goods are contained, shall, unless he proves-

(a)    that, having taken all reasonable precautions against committing an offence against this section, he had at the time of the commission of the alleged offence no reason to suspect the genuineness of the mark, and

(b)    that, on demand made by or on behalf of the prosecutor, he gave all the information in his power with respect to the persons from whom he obtained such goods or things, or

(a) that otherwise he had acted innocently,

be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

Making a false mark upon any receptacle containing goods

487. Whoever makes any false mark upon any case, package or other receptacle containing goods, in a manner reasonably calculated to cause any public servant or any other person to believe that such receptacle contains goods which it does not contain or that it does not contain goods which it does contain, or that the goods contained in such receptacle are of a nature or quality different from the real nature or quality thereof, shall, unless he proves that he acted without intent to defraud, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Punishment for making use of any such false mark

488. Whoever makes use of any such false mark in any manner prohibited by the last foregoing section shall, unless he proves that he acted without intent to defraud, be punished as if he had committed an offence against that section.

Tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury

489. Whoever removes, destroys, defaces or adds to any property mark, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause injury to any person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

Counterfeiting currency-notes or bank-notes

157489A. Whoever counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any currency-note or bank-note, shall be punished with 158imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation-For the purposes of this section and of sections 489B, 489C and 489D, the expression “bank-note” means a promissory note or engagement for the payment of money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business of banking in any part of the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power, and intended to be used as equivalent to, or a substitute for, money.

Using as genuine a forged document

489B. Whoever sells to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or otherwise traffics in or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit currency-note or bank-note, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit, shall be punished with 159[ imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, an shall be liable to fine.

Possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes

489C. Whoever has in his possession any forged or counterfeit currency-note or banknote, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit and intending to use the same as genuine or that it may be used as genuine, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.

Making or possessing instrument or materials for forging or counterfeiting currency-notes or bank-notes

489D. Whoever makes, or performs any part of the process of making, or buys or sells or disposes of, or has in his possession, any machinery, instrument or material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for forging or counterfeiting any currency-note or bank-note, shall be punished with 160[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.]

Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes

161489E. Whoever makes, or causes to be made, or uses for any purpose whatsoever, or delivers to any person, any document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to deceive, any currency-note or bank-note shall be punished with fine which may extend to one hundred taka.

(2)    If any person, whose name appears on a document the making of which is an offence under sub-section (1), refuses, without lawful excuse, to disclose to a police-officer on being so required the name and address of the person by whom it was printed or otherwise made, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred taka.

(3)    Where the name of any person appears on any document in respect of which any person is charged with an offence under sub-section (1) or on any other document used or distributed in connection with that document it may, until the contrary is proved, be presumed that person that caused the document to be made.]