Navy Act,1957
Act No : 62
Section :
Presumptions as to certain documents.
133. Presumptions as to certain documents.(1) Whenever it is necessary for the purposes of either the prosecution or the defence to prove the contents of any voucher, receipt, account, muster, ship's book, letter, signal, telegram or other document made or kept in pursuance of any Act of the legislature, any regulations framed under this Act or of the custom of the service, a copy of the same purporting to be signed and certified as a correct copy by the officer for the time being commanding the ship in which the same was made or kept or by a Secretary to the Central Government, may be received as evidence of such document and of the matters, transactions and accounts therein, recorded. (2) A Navy List or Gazette or other official document purporting to be published by authority of the Central Government or the Chief of the Naval Staff shall be evidence of the status and rank of officers therein mentioned and of any appointment held by such officers until the contrary is proved. (3) Where it is shown that a person is borne on the books of a ship of the Indian Navy, such fact shall be evidence that such person is subject to naval law until the contrary is proved. Explanation.-In this section, the term "books of a ship" shall include any official book, document or list purporting to contain the name or names of person appointed to the ship. (4) Where any person subject to naval law is being tried on a charge of desertion, improperly leaving his ship, or absence without leave and such person has surrendered himself into custody of or has been apprehended by any person subject to naval law or by a person subject to the law relating to the government of the regular Army or the Air Force, a certificate purporting to be signed by such person and stating the fact, date and place of such surrender or apprehension shall be evidence of the matters so stated unless the contrary is proved. (5) Where any person subject to naval law is being tried on a charge of desertion, improperly leaving his ship, or absence without leave and such person has on arrest or surrender been taken to a police station, a certificate purporting to be signed by the officer- incharge of the station and stating the fact, date and place of such surrender or apprehension shall be evidence of the matters stated unless the contrary is proved. (6) Any document purporting to be a report under the hand of any chemical examiner or assistant chemical examiner to Government upon any matter or thing duly submitted to him for examina- 357 tion or analysis may be used as evidence in any proceeding under this Act. (7) The statement of a naval, army or air force medical officer taken and attested by the commanding officer of a ship or establish- ment may be given in evidence in any proceeding under this Act: Provided that the court may, if it thinks fit, and shall if so required by the prosecutor or the accused, summon and examine such medical officer as to the subject matter of his statement. (8)If it is proved that an offender under this Act has absconded and that there is no immediate prospect of arresting him, the commanding officer or other prescribed person may, in his absence, examine any persons who might appear to him to be acquainted with the case and record their depositions on oath and any such deposition may on the arrest of such person be used in evidence against him in any proceeding under this Act, if the deponent is dead or incapable of giving evidence or, his attendance cannot be procured without an amount of delay, expense or inconvenience which under the cir- cumstances of the case would be unreasonable.
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