IEA 155 : Section 155 of the Indian Evidence Act 1872:
Impeaching credit of witness –
The credit of a witness may be impeached in the following ways by the adverse party, or with the consent of the Court, by the party who calls him:—
(1) By the evidence of persons who testify that they, from their knowledge of the witness believe him to be unworthy of credit;
(2) By proof that the witness has been bribed, or has 1[accepted] the offer of a bribe, or has received any other corrupt inducement to give his evidence;
(3) By proof of former statements inconsistent with any part of his evidence which is liable to be contradicted;
2[***]
Explanation
A witness declaring another witness to be unworthy of credit may not, upon his examination-in-chief, give reasons for his belief, but he may be asked his reasons in cross-examination, and the answers which he gives cannot be contradicted, though, if they are false, he may afterwards be charged with giving false evidence.
Illustrations
(a) A sues B for the price of goods sold and delivered to B.
C says that he delivered the goods to B.
Evidence is offered to show that, on a previous occasion, he said that he had not delivered the goods to B.
The evidence is admissible.
(b) A is indicted for the murder of B.
C says the B, when dying, declared that A had given B the wound of which he died.
Evidence is offered to show that, on a previous occasion, C said that the wound was not given by A or in his presence.
The evidence is admissible.
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Subs. by Act 18 of 1872, sec. 11, for “had”.
Clause (4) omitted by Act 4 of 2003, sec. 3 (w.r.e.f. 31-12-2002). Clause (a), before omission, stood as under:
“(4) when a man is prosecuted for rape or an attempt to ravish, it may be shown that the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character”.”
India's Important Case Laws and Landmark Judgments on IEA - Section 155 Indian Evidence Act 1872:
Tara Chand Rampal vs The State on 15 February, 1974 - Delhi High Court
State vs Jasbir Singh @ Billa And Kuljeet ... on 16 November, 1979 - Delhi High Court
Kehar Singh & Ors vs State (Delhi Admn.) on 3 August, 1988 - Supreme Court of India
Tahsildar Singh And Another vs The State Of Uttar Pradesh on 5 May, 1959 - Supreme Court of India
Tuesday vs Shajahan @ Shajan on 7 August, 2012 - Kerala High Court
Rup Chand vs Mahabir Parshad And Anr. on 15 May, 1956 - Punjab and Haryana High Court
