Questions objected to before the Commissioner
Full Text
(1) Where any question put to a witness is objected to by a party or his pleader in proceedings before a Commissioner appointed under this Order, the Commissioner shall take down the question, the answer, the objections and the name of the party or, as the case may be, the pleader so objecting:
Provided that the Commissioner shall not take down the answer to a question which is objected to on the ground of privilege but may continue with the examination of the witness, leaving the party to get the question of privilege decided by the Court, and, where the Court decides that there is no question of privilege, the witness may be recalled by the Commissioner and examined by him or the witness may be examined by the Court with regard to the question which was objected to on the ground of privilege.
(2) No answer taken down under sub-rule (1) shall be read as evidence in the suit except by the order of the Court.
Plain English Summary
Regulates objections raised during commissioner depositions by requiring the commissioner to record the question, answer, and objection without stalling cross-examination, while establishing an exception for privileged communications (Sections 121-131, Evidence Act) where answers are deferred pending court ruling.
Key Legal Elements
- Uninterrupted Recording: General questions and answers must be taken down verbatim alongside noted objections.
- Privilege Exception (Proviso): Answers touching professional/spousal/state privilege (Sec 121-131 BSA / IEA) must NOT be recorded pending judicial determination.
- Recall of Witness: Witness recalled if privilege claim is rejected by the trial judge.
- Court Order for Reading Evidence (Sub-rule 2): Objected answers can only be read as evidence after the trial court decides admissibility at final hearing.
Practical Note
Handling Objections During Cross-Examination: 1. Bipin Shantilal Panchal Principle: Guided by Bipin Shantilal Panchal v. State of Gujarat (2001) 3 SCC 1 and Rule 16A, commissioners must not stop recording cross-examination when an objection is raised; they must record both question and answer and flag the objection for the trial judge to rule on during final arguments. 2. Invocations of Privilege: If an advocate-client communication, matrimonial privilege, or official state secret is asked, immediately invoke the Proviso to Rule 16A and request the commissioner to pause on that specific question and refer the privilege claim to the judge.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) जहां इस आदेश के अधीन नियुक्त कमिश्नर के समक्ष कार्यवाहियों में किसी साक्षी से पूछे गए किसी प्रश्न पर किसी पक्षकार या उसके प्लीडर द्वारा आपत्ति की जाती है, वहां कमिश्नर उस प्रश्न को, उत्तर को, आपत्तियों को और, यथास्थिति, आपत्ति करने वाले पक्षकार या प्लीडर के नाम को लिख लेगा:
परंतु कमिश्नर किसी ऐसे प्रश्न का उत्तर नहीं लिखेगा जिस पर विशेषाधिकार (Privilege) के आधार पर आपत्ति की गई है, किंतु वह साक्षी की परीक्षा जारी रख सकेगा और पक्षकार को विशेषाधिकार के प्रश्न का निर्णय न्यायालय से कराने के लिए छोड़ देगा, और जहां न्यायालय यह विनिश्चय करता है कि विशेषाधिकार का कोई प्रश्न नहीं है, वहां साक्षी को कमिश्नर द्वारा पुनः बुलाया जा सकेगा और उसकी परीक्षा की जा सकेगी अथवा उस प्रश्न के संबंध में जिसकी बाबत विशेषाधिकार के आधार पर आपत्ति की गई थी, न्यायालय द्वारा साक्षी की परीक्षा की जा सकेगी।
(2) उप-नियम (1) के अधीन लिखा गया कोई भी उत्तर न्यायालय के आदेश के बिना वाद में साक्ष्य के रूप में नहीं पढ़ा जाएगा।