Indian criminal law | Updated 30 October 2026

IPC Section 244 and BNS Section 187: Mint Employee Altering Coin Weight or Composition

Section 244 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, punished intentional misconduct by employees of a lawfully established mint that causes coins to be issued with an unlawful weight or composition. The corresponding provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, is Section 187.

Current legal position: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita came into force on 1 July 2024. BNS Section 187 governs the corresponding offence under the new criminal law. IPC Section 244 remains relevant to conduct committed when the IPC applied, subject to the applicable repeal and saving provisions.

What did IPC Section 244 provide?

The former Section 244, titled Person employed in mint causing coin to be of different weight or composition from that fixed by law, applied where a person employed in a mint lawfully established in India intentionally did an act, or omitted a legally required act, to cause a coin issued from that mint to differ in weight or composition from the legal standard.

Punishment under IPC Section 244: Imprisonment of either description for up to seven years, and liability to a fine.

BNS Section 187: Current corresponding provision

Section 187 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 retains the core prohibition: a person employed in a lawfully established Indian mint must not intentionally act, or fail to perform a legal duty, so that a coin issued from that mint has a weight or composition different from that prescribed by law.

Punishment: Imprisonment of either description for a term extending to seven years, and a fine. The section does not prescribe a fixed minimum imprisonment term.

Essential ingredients of the offence

Employment in a lawful mint: The accused must be employed in a mint lawfully established in India.
Act or legally significant omission: There must be an act or failure to perform a duty imposed by law.
Specific intention: The act or omission must be intended to cause a coin issued by the mint to have a different weight or composition from the legal standard.
Coin issued by the mint: The intended departure must concern the weight or composition of a coin issued from that mint.

Proof of intention is central. A mere accidental manufacturing defect, without the required intent, does not by itself establish this particular offence. The statutory wording addresses intentional conduct and does not expressly require proof that an incorrectly made coin was actually circulated.

Meaning of important legal expressions

Mint lawfully established in India: A mint established and operating under lawful authority for the manufacture of coins.

Weight or composition fixed by law: The prescribed physical weight or constituent material of a coin under applicable coinage law and lawful specifications.

Omission: Failure to do something that the employee is legally bound to do. An ordinary workplace error is not automatically a criminal omission under this section.

Imprisonment of either description: Imprisonment that may be simple or rigorous, as provided by the law and determined by the sentencing court.

IPC Section 244 and BNS Section 187 compared

Subject	IPC Section 244	BNS Section 187
Law	Indian Penal Code, 1860	Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Conduct	Intentional alteration of legally prescribed coin weight or composition by mint employee	Corresponding prohibition retained
Maximum imprisonment	Seven years	Seven years
Fine	Also liable to fine	Also liable to fine
Temporal application	Relevant to offences committed under the former IPC regime	In force from 1 July 2024

Illustrative example

A mint employee deliberately changes the metal mixture used in a production process, intending coins issued by the mint to contain a composition different from that legally prescribed. Such intentional conduct may attract BNS Section 187, depending on the evidence and circumstances. In contrast, an unintended equipment malfunction without the statutory intent would require a different legal assessment.

BNS Section 188 concerns unlawfully taking a coining tool or instrument out of a lawfully established mint. BNS Section 178 deals with counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes. These are distinct offences with different elements and should not be confused with Section 187.

Official legislation and references

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 - official India Code PDF (see Section 187).
India Code - Government of India legislative database (consult the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and applicable amendments).
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 - official legislation database (for procedural classification and trial provisions).

This article is general legal information. The law applicable to a particular incident depends on its date, facts, and relevant statutory saving provisions.