Schedule explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Paragraph 1 of Part A of the Schedule lists the offences under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) that count as "scheduled offences" under the Act. It runs from criminal conspiracy (section 120B) to the use of forged currency notes (section 489B). An offence in this list is the starting point of the proceeds of crime that the Act is concerned with.
This article reads the Schedule as per the consolidated text of the Act consulted (amendments shown up to 1 August 2019). The entries are listed exactly as printed; later amendments to the Schedule and notifications should be checked before reliance. A business reviewing its exposure can start with legal due diligence on the transactions and counterparties involved.
Part A of the Schedule is the main list of scheduled offences, and Paragraph 1 is its first and longest entry: sections of the Indian Penal Code. Under s.2(1)(y)(i), "scheduled offence" means the offences specified under Part A. The paragraph lists, among others, criminal conspiracy (120B), murder (302), kidnapping for ransom (364A), extortion, robbery and dacoity, receiving stolen property, cheating (417 to 420), forgery (467, 471), false property marks and counterfeit currency notes (489A, 489B). Part A was substituted by Act 2 of 2013 (w.e.f. 15-2-2013), as the footnote prints.
How the Schedule connects to the Act
The Schedule is headed "" in the text; the definition itself is in section 2(1)(y), a numbering difference between the Schedule's pointer and the clause that is quoted here as printed. Section 2(1)(y)(i) says "scheduled offence" means the offences specified under Part A of the Schedule. Parts B and C are dealt with differently: see our article on Parts B and C and the definitions in our article on section 2 (proceeds of crime and scheduled offence).
The scheduled offence matters because section 2(1)(u) defines "proceeds of crime" as property derived or obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of criminal activity relating to a scheduled offence (or its value), and the offence of money-laundering in section 3 depends on it. See our article on section 3. The punishment for money-laundering is in section 4, explained in our article on section 4.
Part A of the Schedule has 29 paragraphs, each under one named Act. Paragraph 1 is the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). The remaining paragraphs are in our article on corruption, securities, customs, IP and company fraud offences and our article on narcotics, arms, wildlife, environment and other special Acts.
Paragraph 1: Offences under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), as printed
The printed table has two columns, "Section" and "Description of offence". The rows below follow it in order.
| Section | Description of offence |
|---|---|
| 120B | Criminal conspiracy. |
| 121 | Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India. |
| 121A | Conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121 against the State. |
| 255 | Counterfeiting Government stamp. |
| 257 | Making or selling instrument for counterfeiting Government stamp. |
| 258 | Sale of counterfeit Government stamp. |
| 259 | Having possession of counterfeit Government stamp. |
| 260 | Using as genuine a Government stamp known to be counterfeit. |
| 302 | Murder. |
| 304 | Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. |
| 307 | Attempt to murder. |
| 308 | Attempt to commit culpable homicide. |
| 327 | Voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act. |
| 329 | Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act. |
| 364A | Kidnapping for ransom, etc. |
| 384 to 389 | Offences relating to extortion. |
| 392 to 402 | Offences relating to robbery and dacoity. |
| 411 | Dishonestly receiving stolen property. |
| 412 | Dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity. |
| 413 | Habitually dealing in stolen property. |
| 414 | Assisting in concealment of stolen property. |
| 417 | Punishment for cheating. |
| 418 | Cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect. |
| 419 | Punishment for cheating by personation. |
| 420 | Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property. |
| 421 | Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors. |
| 422 | Dishonestly or fraudulently preventing debt being available for creditors. |
| 423 | Dishonest or fraudulent execution of deed of transfer containing false statement of consideration. |
| 424 | Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property. |
| 467 | Forgery of valuable security, will, etc. |
| 471 | Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record. |
| 472 and 473 | Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery. |
| 475 and 476 | Counterfeiting device or mark. |
| 481 | Using a false property mark. |
| 482 | Punishment for using a false property mark. |
| 483 | Counterfeiting a property mark used by another. |
| 484 | Counterfeiting a mark used by a public servant. |
| 485 | Making or possession of any instrument for counterfeiting a property mark. |
| 486 | Selling goods marked with a counterfeit property mark. |
| 487 | Making a false mark upon any receptacle containing goods. |
| 488 | Punishment for making use of any such false mark. |
| 489A | Counterfeiting currency notes or bank notes. |
| 489B | Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency notes or bank notes. |
That is the full printed paragraph: 43 table entries, two of which ("384 to 389" and "392 to 402") are ranges.
Reading the entries
- Descriptions are the Schedule's own words. They are short labels, not the full text of the Indian Penal Code sections, and this article explains nothing about those sections beyond the printed description. The Indian Penal Code is named as printed; check the current penal law for the corresponding provision.
- Ranges. "384 to 389" and "392 to 402" are each one entry. The description for the first is "Offences relating to extortion" and for the second "Offences relating to robbery and dacoity". The Schedule does not list each section in the range separately.
- Pairs. "472 and 473" and "475 and 476" are printed as one entry each.
- Conspiracy and war. Sections 120B, 121 and 121A are the opening entries.
- Property and fraud offences. Entries from 411 to 424 cover stolen property, cheating, and removal or concealment of property to defeat creditors; entries 467 and 471 cover forgery.
- Marks and currency. Entries 481 to 488 are about property marks, and 489A and 489B concern currency notes and bank notes.
What the Schedule does not say
- It does not say that every IPC section is a scheduled offence. Only the sections printed are in the paragraph.
- It does not state any monetary threshold for Paragraph 1 offences. The one crore rupees test in s.2(1)(y)(ii) is for Part B, not Part A.
- It does not mention any amendment to the Indian Penal Code after the date of the text consulted. This article asserts nothing about later changes.
- It does not say how a scheduled offence is investigated or tried; sections 44 and 45 deal with trial and bail, and are explained in our article on section 44.
Why businesses should read this list
The list contains offences that commonly appear in commercial and financial disputes, such as cheating, forgery, dishonest receipt of property and transfers made to defeat creditors. A matter that began as a business or banking dispute and is also described as one of these offences is a scheduled offence for the Act's purposes if the section is on the list. Due diligence on counterparties, therefore, is not limited to the Act itself; it also looks at whether the counterparty or its promoters face any of the listed offences. The site's general guide on scheduled offences under PMLA gives a shorter overview and does not explain this paragraph entry by entry.
For tax questions that arise alongside such matters, see our income-tax guides.
A worked example
Mr Dinesh Verma (invented) runs a trading firm and is accused of cheating a bank by forging a valuable security and of dishonestly using a forged document as genuine. The sections for forgery of valuable security (467), using a forged document (471) and cheating (417 to 420) are all entries in Paragraph 1. Property that the accused obtained from those offences is the kind of property the Act calls proceeds of crime, and dealing with it can be the offence in section 3, punishable under section 4. If, alongside, a conspiracy charge under 120B is made, that too is on the list.
By contrast, if the only allegation against a person were an IPC section not printed in the paragraph, that section would not be a scheduled offence by reason of Paragraph 1, because Paragraph 1 lists only the sections it prints.
Need help reviewing exposure to scheduled offences?
When a counterparty, a promoter or a transaction is linked to one of these offences, early due diligence on the facts and the documents is the practical protection. Our team supports businesses through legal due diligence, starting from the allegation and the records you hold.
Key takeaways
- Paragraph 1 of Part A of the Schedule lists the offences under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) that are scheduled offences.
- Under s.2(1)(y)(i), the offences specified under Part A are "scheduled offences"; Part A was substituted by Act 2 of 2013 (w.e.f. 15-2-2013).
- The paragraph includes criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, robbery and dacoity, cheating, forgery and counterfeit currency, as printed.
- "384 to 389" and "392 to 402" are single entries covering ranges of sections.
- Descriptions are the Schedule's own labels; this article adds no explanation of the IPC sections.
- Check the current law for later changes to the Schedule and to the Indian Penal Code.
Read next
- Schedule, Part A: corruption, securities, customs, IP and company fraud offences
- Schedule, Part A: narcotics, arms, wildlife, environment and other special Acts
- Section 2 PMLA: proceeds of crime, scheduled offence and other key terms
- Scheduled offences under PMLA: complete list
Disclaimer: Based on the consolidated text of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 published by the Enforcement Directorate, showing amendments up to Act 23 of 2019 (1 August 2019), and on the Department of Revenue consolidated copy of the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 listing amendments up to 19 July 2024, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Later amendments, notifications, other rules and regulator directions should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.