Section 266 of IPC : Section 266: Being In possession of false weight or measure

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ramesh owns a grocery store in a small town in India. He uses a weighing scale to measure the weight of vegetables and grains that he sells to his customers. Ramesh knows that his weighing scale is tampered with and shows 100 grams less than the actual weight. Despite knowing this, he continues to use the faulty scale to cheat his customers and make extra profit. One day, a customer notices the discrepancy and reports it to the local authorities. Upon inspection, the authorities find that Ramesh's weighing scale is indeed faulty and that he was aware of it. Ramesh is then charged under Section 266 of the Indian Penal Code for being in possession of a false weight with the intent to use it fraudulently.

Example 2:

Sunita runs a fabric shop in a busy market area. She uses a measuring tape to cut and sell fabric to her customers. Sunita is aware that her measuring tape is shorter by 5 centimeters for every meter, but she continues to use it to sell less fabric than what the customers pay for. A customer who bought fabric from Sunita realizes that the fabric is shorter than what was paid for and complains to the consumer protection authorities. An investigation reveals that Sunita's measuring tape is indeed faulty and that she knew about it. Sunita is then prosecuted under Section 266 of the Indian Penal Code for possessing a false measure of length with the intent to defraud her customers.