Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
BSA Section 152
Question not to be asked without reasonable grounds
In one line
BSA Section 152 deals with question not to be asked without reasonable grounds and replaces Evidence Act 149.
Bare act text — BSA 152
152. Question not to be asked without reasonable grounds.
No such question as is referred to in section 151 ought to be asked, unless the person asking it has reasonable grounds for thinking that the imputation which it conveys is well-founded. Illustrations (a) An advocate is instructed by another advocate that an important witness is a dacoit. This is a reasonable ground for asking the witness whether he is a dacoit. (b) An advocate is informed by a person in Court that an important witness is a dacoit. The informant, on being questioned by the advocate, gives satisfactory reasons for his statement. This is a reasonable ground for asking the witness whether he is a dacoit. (c) A witness, of whom nothing whatever is known, is asked at random whether he is a dacoit. There are here no reasonable grounds for the question (d) A witness, of whom nothing whatever is known, being questioned as to his mode of life and means of living, gives unsatisfactory answers. This may be a reasonable ground for asking him if he is a dacoit.
What changed from the Evidence Act
- Evidence Act 149 → BSA 152: In illustrations, the words "barrister", "an attorney or vakil", "dakait" and "A pleader" are replaced by words "advocate", "another advocate", "dacoit" and "a advocate" respectively.
Frequently asked
What was BSA Section 152 in the Evidence Act?
BSA Section 152 (Question not to be asked without reasonable grounds) replaces Section 149 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Evidence Act 149 is now BSA 152.
Still citing the Evidence Act? Convert any old section in seconds, or keep the whole case — dates, clients and sections — in one diary.
Nearby BSA sections
- BSA 147 — Evidence as to matters in writing
- BSA 148 — Cross examination as to previous statements in writing
- BSA 149 — Questions lawful in cross examination
- BSA 150 — When witness to be compelled to answer
- BSA 151 — Court to decide when question shall be asked and when witness compelled to answer
- BSA 153 — Procedure of Court in case of question being asked without reasonable grounds
- BSA 154 — Indecent and scandalous questions
- BSA 155 — Questions intended to insult or annoy
- BSA 156 — Exclusion of evidence to contradict answers to questions testing veracity
- BSA 157 — Question by party to his own witness