Accused has the Right to Obtain Certified Copies of Documents Forming Part of the Chargesheet: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has ruled that an accused person has the right to obtain certified or cloned copies of all documents, including electronic records like hard disks, that form part of the chargesheet.

In this case, the petitioner requested a copy of the hard disk submitted as evidence for cross-examination.

The copying agency refused, citing that there is no provision for digital records to be given. The defense argued that without it, effective cross-examination would be impossible due to a lack of document source details.

The court directed the trial court to provide the cloned copy and defer cross-examination until the accused had sufficient time to review the contents.