FORGERY (463-477A)

The offence of forgery (463) may or may not be committed in respect of property. It is actually an offence in respect of documents. Therefore, in order to attract punishment in respect of forgery (usually punishable under Section 465 of IPC), there must be making of a false document (29) or false electronic record (29A) coupled with any of the following intentions:
a) to cause damage or injury to the public or to any person
b) to support any claim or title
c) to cause any person to part with property
d) to enter into any express or implied contract
e) to commit fraud
f) or with intent that fraud may be committed.
The following section i.e. 464 qualifies and defines the phrase "making a false document or false electronic record" which can be accomplished by any of the three ways specified therein but needs a "dishonest" or "fraudulent" intention. A person may commit forgery even by signing his/her own name (Explanation I to Section 464). The act of forgery may be committed even in respect of real of fictitious, dead or alive person (Explanation II to Section 464).