Legal Provisions of Section 233 of Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting coin:
Making or selling instrument etc. for counterfeiting coin has been an offence under this section. The section says that whoever either makes or mends, or performs any part of the process or making or mending, or buys, sells or disposes of, either any die or instrument, for the purpose of the same being used, or with the knowledge or having reason to believe that the same is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting coin, shall be punished with simple or rigorous imprisonment for a term extending up to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
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ADVERTISEMENTS:
This section is one of the few sections in the Indian Penal Code in which preparation to commit a crime has been made a punishable offence. Mere making or mending, or performing any part of the process of making or mending, or buying, selling or disposing of, any die or instrument, for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for the purpose of counterfeiting coin has been made punishable.
The use of the expression ‘performs any part of the process’ indicates that the entire process may or may not culminate into a finished product. It is not necessary that the instrument should be capable of making an entire impression of a coin.
The offence under this section is cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, and is triable by magistrate of the first class.