(1) No person shall commit, or
cause to be committed, fraud.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), a person who, with
intent to disentitle any one, expire the statute of limitation or
appointed date for presence of, or cause, in any manner, loss,
damage, injury or benefit to, any one, knowingly does an act stating
that any thing has happened or been done which has not happened or
been done in fact or makes or signs a document containing a false
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date, figure or content or causes another person to sign such
document or showing that he or she has entitlement in any thing in
which he or she has no such entitlement in fact, which does not
constitute the offence of forgery, shall be considered to commit the
offence of fraud.
(3) A person who commits, or causes to be committed, the
offence referred to in sub-section (1) shall be liable to a sentence of
imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or a fine not
exceeding thirty thousand rupees or both the sentences.
(4) A person who has already disposed of property which
he or she has obtained by committing fraud shall be liable to an
additional fine equal to the claimed amount, in addition to the
sentence referred in sub-section (3).
(5) Where a person obtains any property by committing
fraud, the person shall return such property to the concerned owner;
and in the event that such property has already been disposed of, the
claimed amount of such property shall be caused to be recovered to
the owner from any other property of the offender.