Section 6 IEA: Relevancy of facts forming part of same transaction
Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Section 6 IEA at a Glance
Section 6 IEA deals with relevancy of facts forming part of same transaction. From 1 July 2024 it is replaced by Section 4 BSA.
Section 6 IEA Bare Act Text
6. Relevancy of facts forming part of same transaction
Facts which, though not in issue, are so connected with a fact in issue as to form part of the same transaction, are relevant, whether they occurred at the same time and place or at different times and places.
Illustrations(a) A is accused of the murder of B by beating him. Whatever was said or done by A or B or the by-standers at the beating, or so shortly before or after it as to form part of the transaction, is a relevant fact.
(b) A is accused of waging war against the Government of India by taking part in an armed insurrection in which property is destroyed, troops are attacked and gaols are broken open. The occurrence of these facts is relevant, as forming part of the general transaction, though A may not have been present at all of them.
(c) A sues B for a libel contained in a letter forming part of a correspondence. Letters between the parties relating to the subject out of which the libel arose, and forming part of the correspondence in which it is contained, are relevant facts, though they do not contain the libel itself.
(d) The question is, whether certain goods ordered from B were delivered to A. The goods were delivered to several intermediate persons successively. Each delivery is a relevant fact.
Source: Section 6, Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Section 6 IEA in Simple Words
Section 6 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 makes facts relevant when they belong to one transaction. A fact not in issue is relevant when closely linked to a fact in issue (a core disputed fact). The connected facts may happen at the same place and time or at separate places and times.
In a beating murder trial, words or acts of the accused, victim, or bystanders during the beating are relevant. Words or acts just before or after the beating that belong to the transaction are also relevant. In an armed insurrection (an armed uprising) involving attacks on troops and breaking open gaols (prisons), those events are relevant. They remain relevant as part of the overall transaction even if the accused was not present at every event.
In a suit over a libel (a defamatory written statement) in a letter, related letters in that correspondence are relevant. When ordered goods pass through several intermediate persons to the buyer, each intermediate delivery is a relevant fact.
When Section 6 IEA Applies
- Applies when a fact, although not in issue itself, is closely linked to a fact in issue so that both belong to one transaction.
- Applies whether the connected facts happened at the same place and time or at separate places and times.
- Covers words or actions of parties or bystanders during, or just before or after, the central incident.
- Covers events across a wider transaction, a correspondence, or a delivery chain, even if the accused was absent from some stages.
Example of Section 6 IEA
Section 6 IEA in the BSA
Section 6 IEA is now covered under Section 4 BSA.
Section 6 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 became Section 4 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 on 1 July 2024. Slightly wider. Facts now form part of the same transaction if connected with "a fact in issue or a relevant fact", where the IEA said only "a fact in issue". The illustrations also read "jails" for "gaols".
View detailed comparison (IEA 6 vs BSA 4) →FAQs on Section 6 IEA
What is Section 6 IEA?▼
Section 6 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 makes facts relevant when they belong to the same transaction as a fact in issue. Those connected facts are relevant even though they are not themselves in issue.
Do connected facts under Section 6 IEA have to happen at the same place and time?▼
No. Section 6 IEA makes connected facts relevant whether they happened at the same place and time or at separate places and times.
Are words spoken by bystanders during an incident relevant under Section 6 IEA?▼
Yes. Words or actions of bystanders at the incident, or just before or after it within the transaction, are relevant under Section 6 IEA.
Must an accused person be present at every event in a wider transaction for those events to be relevant under Section 6 IEA?▼
No. When several events belong to one general transaction, such as attacks at separate spots during an armed uprising, their occurrence is relevant even if the accused was not present at every one of them.
What is Section 6 IEA in BSA?▼
Section 4 BSA. From 1 July 2024, Section 4 BSA is slightly wider: it covers facts linked to either a relevant fact or a fact in issue, while Section 6 IEA required a link to a fact in issue. The illustration also updates the word gaols to jails.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Indian Evidence Act, 1872 ·