Section 477 of IPC : Section 477: Fraudulent cancellation, destruction, etc., of will, authority to adopt, or valuable security

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ravi, a distant relative of Mr. Sharma, discovers that Mr. Sharma has left a will bequeathing his entire property to his daughter, Priya. Ravi, who stands to gain nothing from the will, decides to destroy it in the hope that Mr. Sharma's property will be distributed according to the default rules of inheritance, which might benefit him. Ravi sneaks into Mr. Sharma's house and burns the will. Under Section 477 of the Indian Penal Code, Ravi can be charged with fraudulently destroying a will, and if found guilty, he could face imprisonment for life or a term extending up to seven years, along with a fine.

Example 2:

Meena, who is childless, has legally adopted a son, and the adoption papers are kept in her house. Her estranged brother, Raj, who is against the adoption, breaks into her house and attempts to tear up the adoption papers to invalidate the adoption. Although he is caught before he can completely destroy the documents, Raj's actions constitute an attempt to destroy an authority to adopt. Under Section 477, Raj can be charged with attempting to fraudulently destroy an authority to adopt, and if convicted, he could face imprisonment for life or a term extending up to seven years, along with a fine.

Example 3:

Anil, an employee at a financial firm, finds a valuable security document that belongs to his colleague, Suresh. Anil, out of jealousy and with the intent to cause financial harm to Suresh, decides to hide the document in a place where Suresh is unlikely to find it. Anil's actions of secreting the valuable security document fall under the purview of Section 477. If Anil is prosecuted and found guilty, he could be sentenced to imprisonment for life or a term extending up to seven years, and he may also be liable to pay a fine.

Example 4:

Sunita, who is in charge of maintaining the records at a local orphanage, discovers that a valuable security document has been misplaced. Fearing that she might lose her job, she decides to forge a new document and destroy the original one. Her actions of destroying the original valuable security document with the intent to cover up her mistake can be prosecuted under Section 477. If found guilty, Sunita could face imprisonment for life or a term extending up to seven years, along with a fine.