Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 489
repealedTampering with property mark with intent to cause injury
Whoever removes, destroys, defaces or adds to any property mark, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause injury to any person, 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
The earlier property-mark sections mostly deal with faking or copying marks; this one addresses tampering with a genuine property mark -- erasing, damaging, or altering it -- specifically to harm the true owner, for example, by making stolen or disputed property appear unmarked or unclaimed. The IPC was repealed on 1 July 2024 and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which now governs these offences.