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CHAPTER X.––OF THE EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES

Section 164: Using, as evidence, of document production of which was refused on notice

The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (repealed)

Repealed by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (47 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024.

When a party refuses to produce a document which he has had notice to produce, he cannot afterwards use the document as evidence without the consent of the other party or the order of the Court.

Illustration

A sues B on an agreement and gives B notice to produce it. At the trial, A calls for the document and B refuses to produce it. A gives secondary evidence of its contents. B seeks to produce the document itself to contradict the secondary evidence given by A, or in order to show that the agreement is not stamped. He cannot do so.

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

164. Using, as evidence, of document production of which was refused on notice.BSA 167

Questions on this section

1 question in 6 of our papers cite Section 164. Try these from the free papers:

  1. 1. A sues B on an agreement and gives B notice to produce it. At the trial A calls for the agreement, B refuses to produce it, and A gives secondary evidence of its contents. B then seeks to produce the agreement itself to show that it is not stamped. Under Section 167 of the BSA, B:

Practise questions on Criminal Law