Section 346 of BNS : Section 346: Tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury.

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ravi owns a small electronics shop in Delhi. He sells branded mobile phones that come with a unique holographic sticker as a property mark to indicate authenticity. One day, Ravi's competitor, Suresh, decides to tamper with Ravi's business. Suresh buys several mobile phones from Ravi's shop, removes the holographic stickers, and replaces them with fake ones. He then sells these tampered phones at a lower price, causing customers to believe that Ravi is selling counterfeit products. As a result, Ravi's business suffers significant losses. Under Section 346 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Suresh can be punished for tampering with the property mark with the intent to cause injury to Ravi.

Example 2:

Meena is a farmer in Punjab who sells her produce at the local market. She uses a specific mark on her packaging to indicate that the produce is organic and grown without pesticides. Her neighbor, Ramesh, who also sells produce, decides to sabotage Meena's business. Ramesh sneaks into Meena's storage area and removes the organic certification marks from her packaging. He then adds his own mark, falsely claiming that the produce is not organic. When customers see the altered packaging, they stop buying from Meena, believing her produce is not organic. Meena suffers financial losses and damage to her reputation. Ramesh can be prosecuted under Section 346 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 for tampering with the property mark with the intent to cause injury to Meena.