Cheating under Section 318 of BNS replacing Section 420 of IPC

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) which came into force on 1st July 2024 replaced the IPC as India underwent legal reforms. Of all the changes, Section 420 of IPC which deals with the offence of cheating has been abolished and replaced by Section 318 of the BNS. This Section expands on the nature of cheating, describes what constitutes cheating, and enunciates severe sanctions for the offence. Understanding the new reforms under criminal laws is crucial and requires legal opinion when dealing with any issues related to such offences. A good criminal lawyer can help you understand the newly added provisions and their application in different cases. 

Understanding Section 318 of the BNS

Definition of Cheating

According to Section 318(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cheating involves the act of deceiving a person with the fraudulent or dishonest intention of inducing them to:

• Deliver any property to any person;

• Consent to retain property by any person; or,

• Induce the person to act or omit to act, which they would not have done had they not been deceived.

The deception directly or is likely to cause harm to the person in body, mind, reputation, or property.

Explanation and Key Elements of Cheating

Deception: The act of cheating begins with deceit, which entails a false representation of facts, which may entail dishonesty. This may involve giving or withholding or giving wrong information to the other person with the intent of misleading him or her.

Fraudulent or Dishonest Intent: The essence is the intent to dishonestly or fraudulently cause the individual to make a move that they would not otherwise do, and which will favour the one who is cheating.

Inducing Delivery or Retention of Property: Deficiency occurs when the cheating takes place and the victim has been induced to transfer property or to agree to its retention.  Property here can mean tangible goods, securities, or even money.

Damage or Harm: It must, or it is likely to if not accomplished, produce detriment to the deceived in terms of harm, financial loss or loss of reputation.

Explanation of Cheating Through Illustrations

The BNS contains straightforward examples of diverse situations to enable the identification of the use of Section 318. Let's break down these examples: 

Pretending to be in the Civil Service

Illustration (a) has been given wherein a person who assumes a fake position in the Civil Service deceives another person into parting with goods on credit. The person is never going to be in a position to pay for the goods. This is in complete violation of provisions in Section 318 which defines cheating. 

Counterfeit Marks on Goods

In Illustration (b), a person counterfeits an article and labels or brands it in a way that the buyer thinks the product was manufactured by a highly reputable manufacturer. Following that, the buyer buys the article. This is also regarded as cheating. 

False Samples

Illustration (c) notes that a person who displays a false sample of goods to entice another person to buy such goods knowing that they do not resemble the sample is cheating.
 

Dishonoured Bill of Exchange 

Illustration (d) depicts how passing an effected bill of exchange with no backing money with the intention of having it dishonoured and manipulating another into delivering goods on such a basis is cheating. 

False Pledging 

In Illustration (e), when one offers articles for a cash loan with knowledge that the particular articles are not diamonds, but offers them as diamonds, it amounts to cheating.
 

False Promise of Repayment 

Illustration (f) elaborates that if one compels another person to give him money under the pretext that he will be paid back, when the giver does not have the intention of paying back, then the former is cheating. 

False Contract Performance 

Illustration (h) states that making someone believe that a contract has been fulfilled so as to make them make a payment also constitutes cheating. 

Cheating and Breach of Contract

It is notable that cheating is different from contractual nonperformance. This is cheating if a person makes someone part with money with the hope of receiving an equivalent value in the future through a promise to deliver a specific product the inducer does not have such as Indigo. However, if the deceiver held out the promise of delivering the goods once the money was paid but fails to perform the contract he is not cheating but commits a civil breach of contract (g). 

Hence, intention at the time of making the contract plays a crucial role in distinguishing between criminal cheating and civil breach.

Punishments for Cheating Under Section 318

Section 318 prescribes varying degrees of punishment for the offense of cheating based on the gravity of the offense: 

Basic Offense

Anyone with intention to deceive shall be subjected to imprisonment for up to three years, or to a fine, or to both (Section 318(2)). 

Cheating with Knowledge of Likely Loss

Anyone who cheats, with a view to committing a wrongful loss to another person in whose interest they are legally charged with, shall be liable to be imprisoned for five years, or to be fined, or both (Section 318(3)). 

Cheating Involving Valuable Security

If the act of cheating results in influencing the deceived person to transfer property or make/alter/destroy valuable security, the penalty is imprisonment for seven years or fine or both (Section 318(4). 

Legal Analysis and Important Observations 

Section 318 offers exhaustive legislation to condemn different varieties of cheating, and acknowledges both fraud and concealment. The detailed illustrations assist to define the extent of applicability of the law and the courts’ potential approaches to various types of deceptive actions. 

Key takeaways include: 

• Intent matters: This is crucial because for an act to be considered cheating, there must be a fraudulent or dishonest motive to do the act at the time of the deception. 

• Misrepresentation can be positive like making a false promise or negative like failing to disclose information. 

• Cheating and breach of contract are not the same: Although cheating is considered as a criminal act, breach of contract can be considered as a civil matter unless fraud was involved. 
  
  

Comparison of Section 318 of the BNS 2023 with Section 420 of the IPC

In the new Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 known as Section 318 of BNS, the provisions are almost a gist of the Section 420 of the IPC related to cheating but with certain differences and few clarifications. Here’s a detailed comparison: 

Language Clarity and Structuring 

The latter is more subdivided into the subsections of Section 318 of the BNS, which provide the clearer vision of the scale of cheating and corresponding punishment. This change is additive to the access to the services by the general public and the legal practitioners. 

Although similar in principle, Section 420 of the IPC was shorter and less elaborate, which occasionally led to interpretational difficulties in different cases.

Subsection Specifically for Knowledge of loss(Section 318(3))

Section 318(3) introduces a more defined provision for cheating involving an offender who has knowledge of likely loss to a party they were bound to protect through legal requirements or substantiated contracts.

The interpretation of Section 420 of the IPC was left ambiguous because the section did not explicitly describe such a circumstance. The BNS now offers improved understanding for matters involving fiduciary duties or contractual commitments.

Expanded Illustrations and Case Studies

The illustrations in Section 318 are intended to give a broader variety of scenarios, thus aiding in the comprehension of multiple types of cheating. The elaborate illustrations help to discern the different types of deceptive practices, including false representation, false promises, and misrepresentation of facts.

While it had illustrations, Section 420 concentrated primarily on broad examples, which made it somewhat less detailed. The detailed design of the BNS supports the application of law more effectively to today’s cases.

No Meaningful Adjustments in Punishment

There is a great deal of similarity in the punishments under Section 318 of the BNS and Section 420 of the IPC. Both prescribe:

• Prisons for up to three years, a monetary fine, or both for usual cheating crimes.

• Sentences of imprisonment for up to seven years, along with fines, for offenses dealing with valuable securities or property.

• Consequently, there have been no important changes in sentencing, as the framework of penalties remains much like the IPC
  
  

Improved Focus on Intent and Harm

Intent (fraudulent or dishonest) along with harm (financial or reputational loss) are the emphasis of both laws. Nonetheless, Section 318 offers a more precise explanation of the various kinds of harm (body, mind, reputation, or property), which refines the law's application to today's cases involving psychological harm or reputational damage.

The BNS places greater concentration on harm to the body or mind compared to the narrower view of harm in the IPC, particularly in relation to financial loss.

Even though Section 318 and Section 420 both follow the same main principles, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita brings greater clarity, a better organisational structure, and more detailed examples to the law, along with a clearer elucidation of the penalties. The transformations illustrate the urgent requirement of today's legal system for enhanced clarity, particularly in difficult fraud and cheating cases.

Conclusion

Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has codified the law on cheating in a clear manner, taking the place of the older Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. The updated section provides a nuanced understanding of the offence, making clear the separation between civil disputes and criminal offences and detailing particular punishments. As India works on a new legal system through the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 318 provides the essential treatment of deception with the seriousness it warrants.

Understanding new criminal laws can be a complex and seeking legal advice can help you better understand such laws and their application in your cases,