Chapter IX - Offences and Penalties
Section 61
Section 61: penalty for knowingly false information
Section 61 addresses information or documents a person knows are false or misleading when provided in connection with an FSS Act requirement or direction.
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Need advice on Section 61?
This article is for general information. Refer to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 official text for the official provisions. If you need professional advice for your situation, contact Bizeneed.
Statutory text
Bare law
If a person, in connection with a requirement or direction under this Act, provides any information or produces any document that the person knows is false or misleading, he shall be liable to penalty which may extend to ten lakh rupees.
Introduction
The Jan Vishwas 2023 amendment replaced the older imprisonment-and-fine wording with a penalty that may extend to ₹10 lakh. The person's knowledge and the connection to a statutory requirement or direction are important ingredients.
Businesses should check factual submissions, licensing information, inspection responses and supporting documents before providing them to an authority.
Key takeaways
Knowledge is express
The section concerns information or a document the person knows is false or misleading.
Statutory context matters
The information must be supplied in connection with a requirement or direction under the Act.
2023 penalty, not old imprisonment
The current text provides a penalty up to ₹10 lakh; old reproductions still show a superseded imprisonment provision.
Locate the submitted statement
Identify the actual form, document or reply, its submitter, date and the specific Act requirement or direction.
Check knowledge and source records
Preserve drafts, underlying data and approval trail. Distinguish a documented mistake from a statement known to be false or misleading.
Correct errors promptly
If a material error is found, preserve the original and correction trail and seek advice on the proper submission route.
Official sources
Read the consolidated Act with the enacted and commenced amendments applicable to this section.
Practical checklist
Do
- Verify key licence and inspection representations before signing.
- Keep source documents and approval records.
- Record the reason for a correction.
Avoid
- Do not submit invented test or production data.
- Do not cite the pre-2023 imprisonment wording as current.
Frequently asked questions
Does every inaccurate entry automatically trigger section 61?
No. The wording includes knowledge that the information or document is false or misleading and a connection to an Act requirement or direction.
Need help applying this provision to your situation?
Contact BizeneedLast updated 9 October 2026