Section 179 of BNS : Section 179: Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes.

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Rahul, a shopkeeper in Mumbai, receives a bundle of currency notes from a customer. He notices that the notes look slightly different but decides to accept them anyway, thinking they might be an older series. Later, it is discovered that the notes are counterfeit. Since Rahul had reason to believe the notes might be fake but still accepted and used them in his business, he could be charged under Section 179 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.

Example 2:

Priya, a college student in Delhi, buys a rare coin from an online marketplace. She later finds out that the coin is a counterfeit. Instead of reporting it, she decides to sell the coin to another collector, knowing it is fake. Priya could be prosecuted under Section 179 for selling a counterfeit coin, as she knowingly trafficked a forged item.

Example 3:

Vikram, a businessman in Chennai, imports a batch of government stamps from a foreign supplier. Upon receiving them, he realizes that the stamps are counterfeit but decides to use them for his business transactions to save costs. Vikram could face charges under Section 179 for importing and using counterfeit government stamps, knowing they are not genuine.

Example 4:

Anita, a bank employee in Kolkata, receives a counterfeit bank-note from a customer. She recognizes it as fake but decides to keep it and later uses it to pay for groceries. Anita could be charged under Section 179 for using a counterfeit bank-note as genuine, knowing it was forged.

Example 5:

Ramesh, a trader in Hyderabad, buys a set of currency notes from an acquaintance at a lower price, suspecting they might be counterfeit. He later uses these notes to pay his suppliers. Ramesh could be prosecuted under Section 179 for buying and using counterfeit currency notes, having reason to believe they were not genuine.