Testimony to facts stated in document mentioned in section 162.
What this section does
A witness may testify to facts recorded in a document of the kind described in section 162 even without specific recollection of those facts, provided the witness is sure the facts were correctly recorded in the document. This allows testimony based on reliable record-keeping even where personal memory has faded. The illustration of a book-keeper testifying from regularly kept business books exemplifies the rule.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
The rule in one line
A witness may testify from a correctly recorded document even without independent recollection of the underlying facts.
When it applies
- A book-keeper who has forgotten individual transactions may testify to entries in regularly kept business books if satisfied they were correctly recorded.
- A hospital registrar may testify to a patient's admission date from hospital records even if he has no personal memory of the event.
Derived from IEA s.160.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BSA Section 163, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BSA Section 163 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.