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THEBANKERS'BOOKSEVIDENCEACT,1891
THEBANKERS'BOOKSEVIDENCEACT,18911

1Titleandextent.
(1)ThisActmaybecalledtheBankers'BooksEvidenceAct,1891.
(2)Itextendsto1[thewholeofIndia2[excepttheStateofJammuand
Kashmir.]]3[***]4[***]
2Definitions.
InthisAct,unlessthereissomethingrepugnantinthesubjectorcontext,
5[(1)
company
meansanycompanyasdefinedinsection3oftheCompaniesAct,1956,(1of

1956),andincludesaforeigncompanywithinthemeaningofsection591ofthatAct
(1A)
corporation
meansanybodycorporateestablishedbyanylawforthetimebeinginforce
inIndiaandincludestheReserveBankofIndia,theStateBankofIndiaandanysubsidiary
bankasdefinedintheStateBankofIndia(SubsidiaryBank)Act,1959(38of1959)]
(2)
bank
and
banker
means
6[(a)anycompanyorcorporationcarryingonthebusinessofbanking]

(b)anypartnershiporindividualtowhosebookstheprovisionsofthisActshallhavebeen
extendedashereinafterprovided
7 [(c)anypostofficesavingsbankoramoneyorderoffice]
8[(3)
bankers'books
includeledgers,daybooks,cashbooks,accountbooksandallother

recordsusedintheordinarybusinessofthebank,whethertheserecordsarekeptinwritten
formorstoredinamicrofilm,magnetictapeorinanyotherformofmechanicalorelectronic
dataretrievalmechanism,eitheronsiteoratanyoffsitelocationincludingabackupor
disasterrecoverysiteofboth]
9[(4)
legalproceeding
means,

(i)anyproceedingorinquiryinwhichevidenceisormaybegiven
(ii)anarbitrationand
(iii)anyinvestigationorinquiryundertheCodeofCriminalProcedure,1973(2of1974),
orunderanyotherlawforthetimebeinginforceforthecollectionofevidence,conducted
byapoliceofficerorbyanyotherperson(notbeingamagistrate)authorisedinthisbehalf
byamagistrateorbyanylawforthetimebeinginforce]
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(5)
theCourt
meansthepersonorpersonsbeforewhomalegalproceedingisheldortaken
(6)
Judge
meansaJudgeofaHighCourt
(7)
trial
meansanyhearingbeforetheCourtatwhichevidenceistakenand
10[(8)
certifiedcopy
meanswhenthebooksofabank,

(a)aremaintainedinwrittenform,acopyofanyentryinsuchbookstogetherwitha
certificatewrittenatthefootofsuchcopythatitisatruecopyofsuchentry,thatsuch
entryiscontainedinoneoftheordinarybooksofthebankandwasmadeintheusualand
ordinarycourseofbusinessandthatsuchbookisstillinthecustodyofthebank,and
wherethecopywasobtainedbyamechanicalorotherprocesswhichinitselfensuredthe
accuracyofthecopy,afurthercertificatetothateffect,butwherethebookfromwhich
suchcopywaspreparedhasbeendestroyedintheusualcourseofthebank'sbusiness
afterthedateonwhichthecopyhadbeensoprepared,afurthercertificatetothateffect,
eachsuchcertificatebeingdatedandsubscribedbytheprincipalaccountantormanager
ofthebankwithhisnameandofficialtitleand
(b)consistofprintoutsofdatastoredinafloppy,disc,tapeoranyotherelectromagnetic
datastoragedevice,aprintoutofsuchentryoracopyofsuchprintouttogetherwithsuch
statementscertifiedinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofsection2A.]
11 [(c)aprintoutofanyentryinthebooksofabankstoredinamicrofilm,magnetictape

orinanyotherformofmechanicalorelectronicdataretrievalmechanismobtainedbya
mechanicalorotherprocesswhichinitselfensurestheaccuracyofsuchprintoutasacopy
ofsuchentryandsuchprintoutcontainsthecertificateinaccordancewiththeprovisions
ofsection2A.]
12[2A.Conditionsintheprintout.
Aprintoutofentryoracopyofprintoutreferredtoinsub

section(8)ofsection2shallbeaccompaniedbythefollowing,namely:
(a)acertificatetotheeffectthatitisaprintoutofsuchentryoracopyofsuchprintoutbythe
principalaccountantorbranchmanagerand
(b)acertificatebyapersoninchargeofcomputersystemcontainingabriefdescriptionofthe
computersystemandtheparticularsof
(A)thesafeguardsadoptedbythesystemtoensurethatdataisenteredoranyother
operationperformedonlybyauthorisedpersons
(B)thesafeguardsadoptedtopreventanddetectunauthorisedchangeofdata
(C)thesafeguardsavailabletoretrievedatathatislostduetosystemicfailureoranyother
reasons
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(D)themannerinwhichdataistransferredfromthesystemtoremovablemedialike
floppies,discs,tapesorotherelectromagneticdatastoragedevices
(E)themodeofverificationinordertoensurethatdatahasbeenaccuratelytransferredto
suchremovablemedia
(F)themodeofidentificationofsuchdatastoragedevices
(G)thearrangementsforthestorageandcustodyofsuchstoragedevices
(H)thesafeguardstopreventanddetectanytamperingwiththesystemand
(I)anyotherfactorwhichwillvouchfortheintegrityandaccuracyofthesystem.
(c)afurthercertificatefromthepersoninchargeofthecomputersystemtotheeffectthatto
thebestofhisknowledgeandbelief,suchcomputersystemoperatedproperlyatthematerial
time,hewasprovidedwithalltherelevantdataandtheprintoutinquestionrepresents
correctly,orisappropriatelyderivedfrom,therelevantdata.]
3.PowertoextendprovisionsofAct.
TheStateGovernmentmay,fromtimetotime,by
notificationintheOfficialGazette,extendtheprovisionsofthisActtothebooksofany
partnershiporindividualcarryingonthebusinessofbankerswithintheterritoriesunderits
administration,andkeepingasetofnotlessthanthreeordinaryaccountbooks,namely,acash
book,adaybookorjournal,andaledger,andmayinlikemannerrescindanysuchnotification..
4.Modeofproofofentriesinbankers
books.
SubjecttotheprovisionsofthisAct,acertifiedcopy
ofanyentryinabanker
sbooksshallinalllegalproceedingsbereceivedasprimafacieevidence
oftheexistenceofsuchentry,andshallbeadmittedasevidenceofthematters,transactionsand
accountsthereinrecordedineverycasewhere,andtothesameextentas,theoriginalentryitself
isnowbylawadmissible,butnotfurtherorotherwise.
5.Caseinwhichofficerofbanknotcompellabletoproducebooks.
Noofficerofabankshallinany
legalproceedingtowhichthebankisnotapartybecompellabletoproduceanybanker
sbookthe
contentsofwhichcanbeprovedunderthisAct,ortoappearasawitnesstoprovethematters,
transactionsandaccountsthereinrecorded,unlessbyorderoftheCourtoraJudgemadefor
specialcause..
6.InspectionofbooksbyorderofCourtorJudge.
(1)OntheapplicationofanypartytoalegalproceedingtheCourtoraJudgemayorderthat
suchpartybeatlibertytoinspectandtakecopiesofanyentriesinabanker
sbookforanyof
thepurposesofsuchproceeding,ormayorderthebanktoprepareandproduce,withinatime
tobespecifiedintheorder,certifiedcopiesofallsuchentriesaccompaniedbyafurther
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certificatethatnootherentriesaretobefoundinthebooksofthebankrelevanttothematters
inissueinsuchproceeding,andsuchfurthercertificateshallbedatedandsubscribedin
mannerhereinbeforedirectedinreferencetocertifiedcopies.
(2)Anorderunderthisortheprecedingsectionmaybemadeeitherwithorwithout
summoningthebank,andshallbeservedonthebankthreecleardays(exclusiveofbank
holidays)beforethesameistobeobeyed,unlesstheCourtorJudgeshallotherwisedirect.
(3)Thebankmayatanytimebeforethetimelimitedforobediencetoanysuchorderas
aforesaideitheroffertoproducetheirbooksatthetrialorgivenoticeoftheirintentiontoshow
causeagainstsuchorder,andthereuponthesameshallnotbeenforcedwithoutfurtherorder.
7.Costs.
(1)ThecostsofanyapplicationtotheCourtoraJudgeunderorforthepurposesofthisAct
andthecostsofanythingdoneortobedoneunderandorderoftheCourtoraJudgemade
underorforthepurposesofthisActshallbeinthediscretionoftheCourtorJudge,whomay
furtherordersuchcostsoranypartthereoftobepaidtoanypartybythebankiftheyhave
beenincurredinconsequenceofanyfaultorimproperdelayonthepartofthebank.
(2)Anyordermadeunderthissectionforthepaymentofcoststoorbyabankmaybe
enforcedasifthebankwereapartytotheproceeding.
(3)Anyorderunderthissectionawardingcostsmay,onapplicationtoanyCourtofCivil
Judicaturedesignatedintheorder,beexecutedbysuchCourtasiftheorderwereadecreefor
moneypassedbyitself:Providedthatnothinginthissubsectionshallbeconstruedto
derogatefromanypowerwhichtheCourtorJudgemakingtheordermaypossessforthe
enforcementofitsorhisdirectionswithrespecttothepaymentofcosts..
14[8OrderofCourttobeconstruedtobeordermadebyspecifiedofficer.
Intheapplicationof
sections5,6and7toanyinvestigationorinquiryreferredtoinsubclause(iii)ofclause(4)of
section2,theorderofaCourtoraJudgereferredtointhesaidsectionsshallbeconstruedas
referringtoanordermadebyanofficerofaranknotlowerthantherankofaSuperintendentof
PoliceasmaybespecifiedinthisbehalfbytheappropriateGovernment.Explanation.
Inthis
section,
appropriateGovernment
meanstheGovernmentbywhichthepoliceofficeroranyother
personconductingtheinvestigationorinquiryisemployed.]
1.Subs.byA.O.1950,for
alltheprovincesofIndia
.
2.Subs.byAct3of1951,sec.3andSch.,for
exceptPartBStates
.
3.Theword
and
rep.byAct10of1914.
4.Subsection(3)rep.byAct10of1914.
5.Subs.byAct56of1962,sec.4,forclause(1)(w.e.f.14121962).
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6.Subs.byAct56of1962,sec.4,forsubclause(a)(w.e.f.14121962).
7.AddedbyAct1of1893,sec.2.
8.Subs.byAct55of2002,sec.11,forclause(3)(w.e.f.622003).Earlierclause(3)wassubstitutedbyAct21of2000,
sec.93andSch.III(w.e.f.17102000).Clause(3),beforesubstitutionbyAct55of2002,stoodasunder:
9.Subs.byAct1of1984,sec.2(a)(i),forclause(4)(w.e.f.1521984).
10.Subs.byAct21of2000,sec.93andSch.III,forclause(8)(w.e.f.17102000).Earlierclause(8)wasamendedbyAct
1of1984,sec.2(a)(ii)(w.e.f.1521984).
11.Ins.byAct55of2002,sec.11(w.e.f.622003).
12.Ins.byAct21of2000,sec.93andSch.III(w.e.f.17102000).
13.ThisActhasbeenextendedtoPondicherrybyAct26of1968,sec.3andSch.
14.Ins.byAct1of1984,sec.2(b)(w.e.f.1521984).

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