Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 489D
repealedMaking or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting currency notes or bank-notes
Whoever makes, or performs any part of the process of making, or buys of sells or disposes of, or has in his possession, any machinery, instrument of material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used, for forging or counterfeiting any currency-note or bank-note, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Why this exists
This section targets the infrastructure of currency counterfeiting -- printing plates, specialised paper, inks, and machinery -- treating possession of these tools as dangerous in itself, even before a single fake note has actually been printed, much like sections 472-476 do for document-forgery tools. The IPC was repealed on 1 July 2024 and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which now governs these offences.