What Is BSA Section 119?

Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 - Section 119: Court May Presume Existence of Certain Facts

1. The Court may presume the existence of any fact which it thinks likely to have happened, regard being had to the common course of natural events, human conduct and public and private business, in their relation to the facts of the particular case.

Illustrations:

The Court may presume that—

• (a) a man who is in possession of stolen goods soon after the theft is either the thief or has received the goods knowing them to be stolen, unless he can account for his possession;
• (b) an accomplice is unworthy of credit, unless he is corroborated in material particulars;
• (c) a bill of exchange, accepted or endorsed, was accepted or endorsed for good consideration;
• (d) a thing or state of things which has been shown to be in existence within a period shorter than that within which such things or state of things usually cease to exist, is still in existence;
• (e) judicial and official acts have been regularly performed;
• (f) the common course of business has been followed in particular cases;
• (g) evidence which could be and is not produced would, if produced, be unfavourable to the person who withholds it;
• (h) if a man refuses to answer a question which he is not compelled to answer by law, the answer, if given, would be unfavourable to him;
• (i) when a document creating an obligation is in the hands of the obligor, the obligation has been discharged.

2. The Court shall also have regard to such facts as the following, in considering whether such maxims do or do not apply to the particular case before it:—

• (i) as to Illustration (a)—a shop-keeper has in his bill a marked rupee soon after it was stolen, and cannot account for its possession specifically, but is continually receiving rupees in the course of his business;
• (ii) as to Illustration (b)—A, a person of the highest character, is tried for causing a man's death by an act of negligence in arranging certain machinery. B, a person of equally good character, who also took part in the arrangement, describes precisely what was done, and admits and explains the common carelessness of A and himself;
• (iii) as to Illustration (b)—a crime is committed by several persons. A, B and C, three of the criminals, are captured on the spot and kept apart from each other. Each gives an account of the crime implicating D, and the accounts corroborate each other in such a manner as to render previous concert highly improbable;
• (iv) as to Illustration (c)—A, the drawer of a bill of exchange, was a man of business. B, the acceptor, was a young and ignorant person, completely under A's influence;
• (v) as to Illustration (d)—it is proved that a river ran in a certain course five years ago, but it is known that there have been floods since that time which might change its course;
• (vi) as to Illustration (e)—a judicial act, the regularity of which is in question, was performed under exceptional circumstances;
• (vii) as to Illustration (f)—the question is, whether a letter was received. It is shown to have been posted, but the usual course of the post was interrupted by disturbances;
• (viii) as to Illustration (g)—a man refuses to produce a document which would bear on a contract of small importance on which he is sued, but which might also injure the feelings and reputation of his family;
• (ix) as to Illustration (h)—a man refuses to answer a question which he is not compelled by law to answer, but the answer to it might cause loss to him in matters unconnected with the matter in relation to which it is asked;
• (x) as to Illustration (i)—a bond is in possession of the obligor, but the circumstances of the case are such that he may have stolen it.

Brief Detail

This section allows the court to presume certain facts based on the likelihood of their occurrence, considering natural events, human behavior, and business practices. It provides a list of presumptions the court can make, including scenarios related to possession of stolen goods and the credibility of accomplices. Additionally, it outlines specific facts for consideration in determining the applicability of these presumptions.

Question & Answers

Q1: What does Section 119 of the Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 address?

A1: It addresses the court's ability to presume the existence of certain facts based on likelihood and context.

Q2: What are some examples of presumptions the court may make?

A2: Examples include presuming a person in possession of stolen goods is the thief, or that an accomplice is unworthy of credit without corroboration.

Q3: What is the significance of considering the common course of natural events?

A3: It allows the court to make reasonable inferences based on typical human behavior and established business practices.

Q4: How does the court evaluate the applicability of these presumptions?

A4: The court considers specific facts and circumstances of each case, as outlined in the section’s illustrations.

Example

1. Case Example: If a shopkeeper has a marked rupee shortly after it was stolen and cannot explain how he obtained it, the court may presume he is involved in the theft.

2. Legal Application: In a case where three criminals provide consistent accounts implicating a fourth, the court may presume that their testimonies are credible and that prior collaboration was unlikely.

Summary

Section 119 of the Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 empowers the court to make presumptions about the existence of certain facts based on likelihood and the context of each case. It outlines specific presumptions related to stolen goods, accomplice credibility, and the regularity of judicial acts, while also providing examples of facts to consider in determining the relevance of these presumptions. This section serves to streamline legal proceedings by allowing reasonable inferences to be drawn from the circumstances at hand.