Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
Section 49, BSA: Previous bad character not relevant, except in reply
Section 49 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, in the Act's own words, with the Evidence Act provision it replaces.
What it replaces
| BSA provision | Evidence Act provision | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Section 49 | Section 54 | corresponds |
From the Bureau of Police Research and Development's official comparison summary (source below). The whole table: Evidence Act to BSA.
The section
49. Previous bad character not relevant, except in reply.
In criminal proceedings, the fact that the accused has a bad character, is irrelevant, unless evidence has been given that he has a good character, in which case it becomes relevant Explanation 1.--This section does not apply to cases in which the bad character of any person is itself a fact in issue. Explanation 2.--A previous conviction is relevant as evidence of bad characterThe text is India Code's consolidated text as loaded into Pundora's statute corpus on 1 September 2026. A section quoted in a draft checked by Pundora is checked against this text.
Sources
- India Code: Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, section 49 (read 1 September 2026)
- Bureau of Police Research and Development: comparison summary, BSA to Evidence Act (read 1 September 2026)