220.
Admissibility of Evidence of Witness in Subsequent Proceedings:(1)
The evidence of a witness given on oath and duly recorded in any judicial
proceeding under this Code may in the discretion of the Court be read and
accepted as evidence in any such subsequent proceedings against the same
accused or in a later stage of the same proceedings, if the witness is dead or
cannot be found or is incapable of giving evidence or if his presence cannot be
obtained without an amount of delay, expense or inconvenience which the Court
considers unreasonable in the circumstances of the case, provided that the
questions in issue are substantially the same on each occasion and that if the
witness is a witness for the prosecution, the accused had the right and opportunity
to cross-examine the witness.
Illustration:
Where ‘A’ is tried and convicted for causing grievous hurt to ‘B’ and ‘B’ subsequently
dies of his injuries ‘A’ may be tried again for murder (see section 207). ‘B’s’ evidence at
the first trial may be used in the second trial, ‘B’ being dead and the question in issue at
each trial substantially the same.
Note :- The power of dispensing with the attendance of a living and capable witness is
very exceptional and should be used with great discretion.
(2) If a witness is produced and examined in any judicial proceedings under this Code,
his evidence given on oath and duly recorded in writing at any such proceedings
previously held against the same accused in which the questions in issue were
substantially the same or in a previous stage of the same judicial proceedings may be
read out after his evidence in chief has been given and he may be examined and
cross-examined upon it and it may be accepted as evidence by the Court.
Note :- The power given by sub-section (2) enables a Court when it thinks that a witness
had told the truth at a previous stage and is lying before it to ignore the evidence given
before it and rely on the evidence given previously.
221.
Admissibility of Statement by the Accused.
Where there are several accused, the statements of each made in answer to examination
under section 179 may be taken into consideration by the Magistrate or Court and shall
be admissible for or against himself and any of the other accused at the same or any
subsequent stage of the same proceedings, provided that such statement made by one of
the accused shall not be admitted at the trial of the other accused unless the accused
person who made such statements was being tried jointly with the other accused and the
statements were made in the presence of the other accused.
74
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