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In India, there is no rule that says you need a certain number of witnesses to prove your case in court.
Both section 134 of Indian Evidence Act, which is now replaced by section 139 of Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam do not mention the need of any specific number of witness- “No particular number of witnesses shall in any case be required for the proof of any fact.”
What's more important is that the witnesses you do have are trustworthy and believable. The court cares more about the quality of the witnesses than the quantity. This means that it's better to have a few good witnesses than lots of unreliable ones. In Indian law, "evidence has to be weighed, not counted," meaning the quality of evidence matters more than the quantity.
In a famous case named Vadivelu Thevar v. The State of Madras 1957 AIR 614, the court made it clear that what matters most is how convincing and dependable a witness is, rather than how many witnesses you have. So, in Indian courts, it's all about having reliable witnesses who can be trusted to tell the truth, rather than just having a large number of them.
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FAQs
FAQ 1: How many witnesses are typically required in a court case?
Answer: The number of witnesses depends on the case type. Generally, one or two credible witnesses can be sufficient. Quality of testimony often outweighs the number.
FAQ 2: Can a case be proven with circumstantial evidence alone?
Answer: Yes, a case can be proven with strong circumstantial evidence if it convincingly points to the conclusion. Courts evaluate the totality of the evidence presented.
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Written by Arshita Anand
Arshita is a final year student at Chanakya National Law University, currently pursuing B.B.A. LL.B (Corporate Law Hons.). She is enthusiastic about Corporate Law, Taxation and Data Privacy, and has an entrepreneurial mindset
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Further Reading
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