Electronic or digital record.
What this section does
Electronic or digital records cannot be denied admissibility merely on the ground that they are electronic or digital in nature. Such records have the same legal effect, validity, and enforceability as other documents, subject to the conditions in section 63.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
The rule in one line
Electronic/digital records are admissible as documents and carry the same legal weight as paper documents, subject to section 63.
When it applies
- A WhatsApp message screenshot cannot be rejected as evidence solely because it is a digital record.
- An email printout has the same evidentiary value as a paper document, provided section 63 conditions are met.
Practitioner note
This section removes the threshold objection to electronic evidence; admissibility conditions are separately governed by section 63.
Derived from IEA s.65A.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BSA Section 61, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BSA Section 61 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.