Secondary Evidence Inadmissible During Cross-Examination If Withheld At Initial Stage Of Proceedings: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has clarified that secondary evidence of a document cannot be admitted unless it is first proved that the original document is lost, destroyed, or deliberately withheld by the party against whom the evidence is being presented. The Court reiterated the principles under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, particularly Sections 65 and 66, which govern the conditions and procedures for accepting secondary evidence. Trial Court Cannot Accept…