Section 9 of The Indian Evidence Act, 1982 and Test Identification Parade
Section 9 of The Indian Evidence Act, 1982 and Test Identification Parade
Section 9 of The Indian Evidence Act, 1982 and Test Identification Parade
Section 9 of Indian Evidence Act,1872 provides for facts necessary to explain or introduce relevant
facts which states: “Facts necessary to explain or introduce a fact in issue or relevant fact, or which
support or rebut an inference suggested by a fact in issue or relevant fact, or which establish the
identity of anything or person whose identity is relevant, or fix the time or place at which any fact in
issue or relevant fact happened or which show the relation of parties by whom any such fact was
transacted, are relevant so far as they are necessary for that purpose”
This section declares the following facts as relevant:
• Facts necessary to explain or introduce a fact in issue or relevant fact.
Illustrations
• There is a question that whether a given document is will of A. The state
of A’s property and details of his family at the date of alleged will, will
be relevant as introductory facts.
• A sues B for inducing C to break a contract of service made by him with
C. The fact is that C on leaving A’s service says to A “I am leaving your
services because B has made me a better offer”. The statement of C is
relevant as it explains C’s conduct, which is relevant as a fact in issue.
• Facts which support or rebut an inference suggested by a fact in
issue or relevant fact.
Illustration
• Where A is accused of committing a crime, the fact that soon after
the commission of crime A absconded from his house which is
relevant under sec 9 as it supports the inference that he committed
the crime. The fact that at the time when a left home he had a sudden
and urgent business at the place to which he went is also relevant as
it rebuts the inference suggested by the fact in issue that he
committed a crime.
• Facts which establish the identity of anything or person whose
identity is relevant.
TIME PLACE
• Facts which show the relation of parties by whom any such
fact was transacted, are relevant in so far as they are necessary
for that purpose.
TEST IDENTIFICATION PARADE
• Method of establishing identity of the accused.
• Unfair to identify the accused in the dock by witness
Ayyappan v State of Kerala 2005 Cr.LJ 57 (Ker).
State of Maharastra v. Goraraksha Ambaji Adsul 2006 Cr. LJ
(NOC) 45 (Bom)
• Appu v. State 1990 Cr. LJ 2281 (Ker). – Evidentiary value
depends on safeguards followed while conducting TIP.
• Heera v. State of Rajasthan 2007 Cr.L.J 36514(Para 6)
PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN IN THE CASE
• Doesn’t constitute substantive evidence and can be used for corroboration purposes.
Shyamal Ghosh v State of WB 2012 Cr. LJ 3825 (SC)
• The main objective of holding a TIP during an investigation is to test the memory of
the witness.
• TIP should be conducted immediately after the arrest of the accused.
• Appreciation of TIP will depend upon the trustworthiness of the witness.
• Presence of Magistrate.
PURPOSE
• Usually, there is a stretched time gap between the commission of
an offence and the trial of the offence, and quite naturally if the
accused is not known to the eyewitness, then, how can it be
expected of the eyewitness to remember minute details such as:
general appearance, physical structure, stature and complexion of
the accused, and as a necessary corollary, how can it be expected
of the eyewitness to identify the accused with exactitude in the
court of law; thus, to resolve this anomaly, soon after the
commission of crime, if any eyewitness is available then TIP
should be conducted as a matter of priority, prudence and
propriety and not just procedure, so that the eyewitness is able to
depose about the accused and the crime scene when his memory
is fresh and unsullied.
• It is important to note that, evidence of TIP conducted by police cannot
be tendered in the court of law because such identification amounts to a
statement made to the police and accordingly as per the purport of
Section 162 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, such evidence being
in the nature of statement made to the police during investigation it
cannot be tendered as evidence in the court of law. In order to make TIP
admissible in the court of law, so that it can be used to corroborate the
oral evidence that would be given in the court of law, TIP must be
conducted in the presence of a magistrate (judicial or executive).
WHEN IS HOLDING OF TIP NECESSARY.
• Not relevant when victim and accused are known to
each other.
• Need is only in the cases where accused has not been
arrested at the place of occurrence.
EVIDENTIARY VALUE OF TIP.
State of A.P. v. V.K. Venkata Reddy
R.Shaji v. State of Kerala (2013) 14 (1976) 1 SCC 463
SCC 266
• In this case it was held that it is • In this case, the Hon’ble Supreme
not a substantive piece of Court of India categorically held
evidence, that, the evidence given by a
witness in the court of law is
• But it can be used for
substantive testimony while the
corroboration or contradiction identification made by the witness
purposes. in the TIP is only confirmatory of
the testimony made before the
court of law.
DELAY IN HOLDING TIP MUST BE EXPLAINED?
• Many times TIP gets delayed due to the non-availability of the
magistrate; the delay in holding TIP must be accounted for satisfactorily.
• In the case, Murarilal Jivaram Sharma v. State of Maharashtra AIR
1997 SC 1593, delay of 2 (two) months in holding TIP was held to be
sufficiently explained where the I.O. although kept writing to the
magistrate for holding TIP but the magistrate was not able to spare time
due to his pre-occupations. Delays in holding TIP can reduce the
credence that can be attributed to the evidence obtained vide the TIP
route.
DOCK IDENTIFICATION-Identification only in the court. Validity-:
KANTA PRASAD V. DELHI ADMINISTRATION REVISED IN RAM NATH NAIK V. STATE 1995
AIR 1958 SC 350 2255 (PARA 5)