Interested Witness - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition interested-witness

Definition :

Interested witness, a close relative who is a natural witness cannot be regarded as an interested witness. The term 'interested' postulates that the witness must have some direct interest in having the accused somehow or the other convicted for some animus or for some other reason, Kartik Malhar v. State of Bihar, (1996) 1 SCC 614 (620).

A witness is not excluded from giving evidence by reason of his interest in the matter in question, 6 & 7 Vict. c. 85, s. 1.

Means a close relative who is a very natural witness cannot be termed as an interested witness. The term interested postulates that the person concerned must have some direct interest in seeing the accused being convicted somehow or the other either because of animosity or some other reasons, State of Andhra Pradesh v. S. Rayappa, (2006) 4 SCC 512: (2006) 2 JT 392: (2006) 2 SCALE 321: (2006) 2 SLT 230: (2006) 3 SCJ 668: (2006) 4 SC JD 470: (2006) 3 SRJ 499: 2006 Cr LJ 1616: (2006) 2 SCC (Cri) 353: (2006) 1 Crimes 219 (SC): (2006) 1 JCC 396: (2006) 1 Recent LR 966: (2006) 2 CRJ 363.