Witness not excused from answering on ground that answer will criminate
Full Text
A witness shall not be excused from answering any question as to any matter relevant to the matter in issue in any suit or in any civil or criminal proceeding, upon the ground that the answer to such question will criminate, or may tend directly or indirectly to criminate, such witness, or that it will expose, or tend directly or indirectly to expose, such witness to a penalty or forfeiture of any kind:
Provided that no such answer, which a witness shall be compelled to give, shall subject him to any arrest or prosecution, or be proved against him in any criminal proceeding, except a prosecution for giving false evidence by such answer.
Plain English Summary
Compels a witness to answer relevant questions even if the answers criminate them, but grants use immunity, protecting them from arrest or prosecution based on those answers (except for perjury).
Key Legal Elements
- Witness must answer any relevant question in any civil or criminal proceeding.
- Cannot refuse to answer on the ground that the answer will criminate them or expose them to a penalty.
- Compelled answers cannot subject the witness to arrest or prosecution (use immunity), nor can they be proved against them in criminal proceedings.
- Excludes immunity for prosecution of perjury (giving false evidence) via such compelled answers.
Practical Note
This section strikes a crucial balance between the court's need for truth and the constitutional protection against self-incrimination (Article 20(3)). While a witness cannot refuse to answer, any self-criminating statement made under compulsion is protected by 'use immunity.' However, this immunity is only triggered if the witness is compelled to answer (i.e., they objected first or the court ordered them to answer). It does not protect against prosecution if the witness gives false evidence (perjury).
हिंदी पाठ
किसी वाद में या किसी सिविल या दांडिक कार्यवाही में विवाद्यक विषय से सुसंगत किसी विषय के बारे में किसी प्रश्न का उत्तर देने से किसी साक्षी को इस आधार पर क्षमा नहीं किया जाएगा कि ऐसे प्रश्न का उत्तर उस साक्षी को अपराध में फंसाएगा, या प्रत्यक्षतः या अप्रत्यक्षतः उसे अपराध में फंसाने की प्रवृत्ति रखेगा, या यह कि वह उस साक्षी को किसी भी प्रकार की शास्ति या समपहरण के लिए प्रकट करेगा, या प्रत्यक्षतः या अप्रत्यक्षतः उसे प्रकट करने की प्रवृत्ति रखेगा:
परन्तु ऐसा कोई उत्तर, जिसे देने के लिए साक्षी विवश किया जाएगा, उसे किसी गिरफ्तारी या अभियोजन के अधीन न करेगा, और न उसे किसी दांडिक कार्यवाही में उसके विरुद्ध साबित किया जाएगा, सिवाय ऐसे उत्तर द्वारा झूठा साक्ष्य देने के लिए अभियोजन के।