Whoever, without lawful authority, takes out of any mint, lawfully established in 2India, any coining tool or instrument, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine
IPC Section 245: Simplified Explanation
IPC Section 245 deals with the offence of unlawfully taking coining instruments from a mint without proper authorization. A mint is a secure facility where coins are produced, and the security of coining instruments is critical to maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of the currency. This section is aimed at preventing and penalizing individuals who might attempt to remove coining instruments from a mint for illicit purposes, such as counterfeiting.
The critical elements of this offence include:
- The accused must have taken coining instruments.
- The act must be done unlawfully without proper authorization.
- The coining instruments must be taken from a mint.
Is IPC Section 245 bailable?
No, IPC Section 245 is a non-bailable offence. This means that the accused does not have the right to be released on bail as a matter of course, and bail can only be granted at the discretion of the court based on the specifics of the case.
IPC Section 245 Punishment
The punishment for an offence under IPC Section 245 is imprisonment of either description (simple or rigorous) for a term which may extend to seven years, along with a fine. This severe punishment reflects the gravity of the offence and its potential impact on the country’s economic stability.
Example of IPC Section 245
Consider a scenario involving an employee named Vikram, who works at the National Mint. Vikram has access to various coining instruments used to produce official currency. Driven by the desire to make quick money, Vikram decides to secretly take some of the coining instruments out of the mint. He manages to bypass security and smuggle the instruments out. However, his actions are later discovered when a routine audit reveals the missing instruments. An investigation is launched, and the authorities trace the missing instruments back to Vikram. He is then charged under IPC Section 245 for unlawfully taking coining instruments from the mint, and he faces the stringent punishment prescribed for this severe offence.
