Question not to be asked without reasonable grounds.
What this section does
Questions of the type referred to in Section 151 (credit-affecting questions injuring character) must not be asked unless the questioner has reasonable grounds for believing the imputation conveyed is well-founded. The section provides illustrations distinguishing situations where reasonable grounds exist from those where they do not.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
The rule in one line
A credit-injuring question may only be put to a witness if the advocate has reasonable grounds for believing the underlying imputation is well-founded.
When it applies
- An advocate instructed by another advocate that a witness is a dacoit has reasonable grounds to ask the witness whether he is a dacoit.
- Asking a witness at random, with no prior information, whether he is a dacoit is improper as there are no reasonable grounds for the question.
Derived from IEA s.149.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BSA Section 152, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BSA Section 152 forms part of Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam which replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.