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Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023

Section 60, BSA: Cases in which secondary evidence relating to documents maybe given

Pundora · Published 3 October 2026

Section 60 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, in the Act's own words, with the Evidence Act provision it replaces.

What it replaces

BSA provisionEvidence Act provisionRelation
Section 60Section 65corresponds

From the Bureau of Police Research and Development's official comparison summary (source below). The whole table: Evidence Act to BSA.

The section

60. Cases in which secondary evidence relating to documents maybe given.

Secondary evidence may be given of the existence, condition, or contents of a document in the following cases, namely:-- (a) when the original is shown or appears to be in the possession or power-- (i) of the person against whom the document is sought to be proved; or (ii) of any person out of reach of, or not subject to, the process of the Court; or (iii) of any person legally bound to produce it, and when, after the notice mentioned in section 64 such person does not produce it; (b) when the existence, condition or contents of the original have been proved to be admitted in writing by the person against whom it is proved or by his representative in interest; (c) when the original has been destroyed or lost, or when the party offering evidence of its contents cannot, for any other reason not arising from his own default or neglect, produce it in reasonable time; (d) when the original is of such a nature as not to be easily movable; (e) when the original is a public document within the meaning of section 74; (f) when the original is a document of which a certified copy is permitted by this Adhiniyam, or by any other law in force in India to be given in evidence; (g) when the originals consist of numerous accounts or other documents which cannot conveniently be examined in Court, and the fact to be proved is the general result of the whole collection. Explanation.--For the purposes of-- (i) clauses (a), (c) and (d), any secondary evidence of the contents of the document is admissible; (ii) clause (b), the written admission is admissible; (iii) clause (e) or (f), a certified copy of the document, but no other kind of secondary evidence, is admissible; (iv) clause (g), evidence may be given as to the general result of the documents by any person who has examined them, and who is skilled in the examination of such document.

The 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

  1. India Code: Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, section 60 (read 1 September 2026)
  2. Bureau of Police Research and Development: comparison summary, BSA to Evidence Act (read 1 September 2026)

The Act's own words, from India Code. If the text here differs from the Gazette, the Gazette governs; write to contact@pundora.in and it will be corrected and dated.