Rajya Sabha Passed Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026

• 11 Aug 2026

On 10th August 2026, the Parliament passed the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026 paving the way for replacing the colonial-era Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, with a modern legal framework suited to India’s increasingly digital banking system.

Key Points

• Digital Records: The legislation explicitly recognised electronic and digital records of bankers’ books as admissible, valid and legally enforceable evidence, subject to safeguards.
• Certified Copies: The Bill retained the existing provision allowing certified copies of bank records to be produced as evidence without requiring the original records.
• Technology-Neutral Framework: Union Finance Minister said the legislation provided a technology-neutral framework that recognised electronic and digital banking records.
• Record Integrity: Electronic or digital copies would be admissible when they accurately represented or were appropriately derived from the original records.
• Safeguards: The framework required that records had not been unauthorisedly altered or tampered with and that no event had compromised their integrity or accuracy.
• Special Cause: Courts could order the production of bankers’ books or require bank officers to appear in specific circumstances, including doubts over the accuracy or genuineness of records.