Section 154: Question by party to his own witness

Now in the BSA

As given in the correspondence table of the National Crime Records Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs). Read both texts before relying on it. NCRB table

Leading cases

• Neeraj Dutta v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi) (2022)If the complainant's direct evidence of a bribe demand is unavailable, demand and acceptance can be proved by other oral, documentary or circumstantial evidence, and guilt under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act inferred.

Questions on this section

3 questions in 15 of our papers cite Section 154. Try these from the free papers:

1. 1. Under Section 157 of the BSA, the person who calls a witness may put to him any question which might be put in cross-examination by the adverse party:

   A.if the Court, in its discretion, permits him to put such questionsB.only where the witness is shown to have been bribed or corruptly inducedC.as of right, once the witness gives evidence contrary to his earlier statementD.only with the written consent of the adverse party, recorded by the Court
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2. 2. In Khujji v. State of Madhya Pradesh (1991), the Supreme Court held that the evidence of a prosecution witness who has been declared hostile by the party calling him:

   A.must be excluded altogether, since the party calling him has discredited the witnessB.can be used only by the defence, and never in support of the prosecution caseC.is not wiped off the record, and may be accepted to the extent found dependableD.can be relied on only if every part of it is corroborated by independent evidence
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