Receipt of evidence relating to offences committed outside India
Full Text
When any offence alleged to have been committed in a territory outside India is being inquired into or tried under the provisions of section 208, the Central Government may, if it thinks fit, direct that copies of depositions made or exhibits produced, either in physical form or in electronic form, before a judicial officer, in or for that territory or before a diplomatic or consular representative of India in or for that territory shall be received as evidence by the Court holding such inquiry or trial in any case in which such Court might issue a commission for taking evidence as to the matters to which such depositions or exhibits relate.
Plain English Summary
Enables the use of physical or electronic evidence collected abroad in Indian criminal proceedings with government approval.
Key Legal Elements
- Evidence from foreign territories
- Electronic and physical exhibits
- Depositions before consuls or judicial officers
- Central Government authorization
- Alternative to issuing a commission
Punishment
Receipt of foreign evidence.
Practical Note
This section bridges the gap in international evidence gathering. By explicitly mentioning "electronic form," the BNSS modernizes the process of receiving digital evidence from abroad, such as email logs or video depositions recorded before Indian diplomats.
हिंदी पाठ
जब भारत के बाहर किसी क्षेत्र में किए गए कथित अपराध की जांच या विचारण धारा 208 के प्रावधानों के तहत किया जा रहा है, तो केंद्र सरकार, यदि वह ठीक समझे, तो यह निर्देश दे सकती है कि उस क्षेत्र के लिए किसी न्यायिक अधिकारी के समक्ष या उस क्षेत्र के लिए भारत के किसी राजनयिक या वाणिज्यिक प्रतिनिधि के समक्ष भौतिक रूप में या इलेक्ट्रॉनिक रूप में किए गए बयानों या पेश किए गए प्रदर्शनों की प्रतियां उस न्यायालय द्वारा साक्ष्य के रूप में प्राप्त की जाएंगी जो ऐसी जांच या विचारण कर रहा है।