Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 264
repealedFraudulent use of false instrument for weighing
Whoever, fraudulently uses any instrument for weighing which he knows to be false, 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
Buyers rely on weighing scales to know they are getting the amount of goods they pay for. This section, part of a set of provisions on weights and measures, protects ordinary commercial transactions from being quietly manipulated through rigged scales. Much of this ground is now also covered by the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, which sets modern standards for weighing and measuring equipment. The IPC itself has been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, effective 1 July 2024.