A 'document' must be an official paper like a certificate or contract.

Courts have clarified that any material with letters, figures, or marks—including informal notes or unconventional surfaces—can be a 'document' if it can serve as evidence.

Only handwritten items count as documents.

Printed, typed, or otherwise marked materials also qualify, as long as they use letters, figures, or marks capable of being evidence.

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 29

repealed

Document

The word “document” denotes any matter expressed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks, or by more than one of those means, intended to be used, or which may be used, as evidence of that matter.§

Why this exists

The IPC needed a broad, technology-neutral definition of 'document' so that offenses like forgery, cheating, and fraud (defined elsewhere in the Code) could apply to any written or marked material used as evidence, not just formal paper records. This ensures the law keeps pace with different materials and methods of recording information.

How courts read it

Indian courts have interpreted 'document' broadly under this section, holding that it covers writings on unconventional surfaces (like cloth, metal plates, or walls) and even typed or printed matter, as long as it conveys meaning through letters, figures, or marks and can serve as evidence. Courts have also linked this definition to Section 464 (making a false document) and forgery-related offenses to determine what qualifies as a punishable false document.

Common misconceptions

Myth: A 'document' must be an official paper like a certificate or contract.
Fact: Courts have clarified that any material with letters, figures, or marks—including informal notes or unconventional surfaces—can be a 'document' if it can serve as evidence.
Myth: Only handwritten items count as documents.
Fact: Printed, typed, or otherwise marked materials also qualify, as long as they use letters, figures, or marks capable of being evidence.