Section 420 of IPC : Section 420: Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ravi, a con artist, convinces Suresh that he owns a piece of land in Mumbai and offers to sell it to him for ₹50 lakhs. Ravi shows Suresh fake documents to support his claim. Believing Ravi, Suresh pays him the ₹50 lakhs. Later, Suresh finds out that the land does not belong to Ravi and that the documents were forged. In this scenario, Ravi has committed an offense under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code by cheating Suresh and dishonestly inducing him to deliver ₹50 lakhs.

Example 2:

Priya, a software engineer, receives an email from someone pretending to be from her bank, asking her to update her account details to avoid suspension. The email contains a link to a fake website that looks identical to her bank's official site. Priya, believing the email to be genuine, enters her account details, including her password, on the fake website. The fraudster then uses this information to transfer ₹2 lakhs from Priya's account to his own. Here, the fraudster has committed an offense under Section 420 by cheating Priya and dishonestly inducing her to deliver her bank account details, which led to the transfer of money.

Example 3:

Anita, a small business owner, is approached by Rajesh, who claims to be a government official. Rajesh tells Anita that her business is due for a tax audit and that she needs to pay ₹1 lakh to avoid penalties. He shows her fake identification and documents to support his claim. Anita, fearing the penalties, pays Rajesh the ₹1 lakh. Later, she discovers that there was no such audit and that Rajesh was not a government official. Rajesh has committed an offense under Section 420 by cheating Anita and dishonestly inducing her to deliver ₹1 lakh.

Example 4:

Vikram, a job seeker, is contacted by a person named Arjun who claims to be a recruiter for a prestigious company. Arjun tells Vikram that he has been selected for a high-paying job but needs to pay ₹50,000 as a processing fee. Arjun provides fake offer letters and other documents to make his claim believable. Vikram, excited about the job opportunity, pays the ₹50,000. Later, he finds out that there was no job and that Arjun was a fraud. Arjun has committed an offense under Section 420 by cheating Vikram and dishonestly inducing him to deliver ₹50,000.

Example 5:

Sunita, a retired teacher, is approached by a man named Manoj who claims to be a financial advisor. Manoj convinces Sunita to invest ₹10 lakhs in a non-existent scheme, promising high returns. He provides fake brochures and documents to make the scheme look legitimate. Sunita, trusting Manoj, invests the money. After a few months, she realizes that the scheme was a scam and that Manoj has disappeared with her money. Manoj has committed an offense under Section 420 by cheating Sunita and dishonestly inducing her to deliver ₹10 lakhs.