Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XXV: Evidence in Inquiries and Trials · B.—Commissions for the examination of witnesses
Section 334: Previous conviction or acquittal how proved
In plain words
A previous conviction or acquittal can be proved by a certified extract of the sentence or order from the court records, or, for a conviction, by a certificate from the jail officer or the warrant of commitment, along with evidence that the accused is the same person.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
In any inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this Sanhita, a previous conviction or acquittal may be proved, in addition to any other mode provided by any law for the time being in force,—-
(a) by an extract certified under the hand of the officer having the custody of the records of the Court in which such conviction or acquittal was held, to be a copy of the sentence or order; or
(b) in case of a conviction, either by a certificate signed by the officer in charge of the jail in which the punishment or any part thereof was undergone, or by production of the warrant of commitment under which the punishment was suffered, together with, in each of such cases, evidence as to the identity of the accused person with the person so convicted or acquitted.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 12 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 334
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.