Signed Carbon Copy of Original Document Admissible as Evidence, Says Supreme Court
In a ruling that will have far-reaching impact, the Supreme Court has held that signed carbon copy of an original document is admissible as primary evidence under Section 62 of the Indian Evidence Act.
New Delhi, October 30: In a ruling that will have far-reaching impact, the Supreme Court has held that signed carbon copy of an original document is admissible as primary evidence under Section 62 of the Indian Evidence Act. A Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Deepak Gupta, made the ruling while hearing an appeal against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a land dispute matter. 'CBI Is Not God': Supreme Court Sets Aside Punjab And Haryana High Court Order of CBI Probe in Missing Person Case.
A bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court had held that a carbon copy of a document, which is signed by both the parties, cannot be termed as an original document under Section 62 of the Evidence Act. Setting aside the high court's order, the Supreme Court said that a signed carbon copy of a document is as good as the original document. The top court maintained that a carbon copy in this form will be admissible as primary evidence.
"This finding of the High Court is absolutely incorrect and against the provision of Section 62 of the Evidence Act. This carbon copy was prepared in the same process as the original document and once it is signed by both the parties, it assumes the character of the original document," the Supreme Court bench held. It further pointed out that an explanatory provision in Section 62 that also talked about copying and printing from the original document, News18 reported.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2019 10:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).