Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 266
repealedBeing in possession of false weight or measure
Whoever is in possession of any instrument for weighing, or of any weight, or of any measure of length or capacity, which he knows to be false, intending that the same may be fraudulently used, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Why this exists
This section catches the preparation stage: keeping false weighing equipment ready for fraudulent use, even before it is actually used to cheat anyone. It works alongside sections punishing actual fraudulent use and making or selling such false equipment, covering the full lifecycle of the offence. The Legal Metrology Act, 2009, now separately regulates possession of non-standard weighing and measuring equipment. The IPC has been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, effective 1 July 2024.