Monday, September 23, 2013

E-mail/Electronic Document Proof





For the Admissibility of electronic evidence, it must satisfy the same rules as required for traditional documentary evidence to be admitted into evidence as laid down by Indian Evidence Act. But most of electronic evidence is intangible, invisible so some help/aid  from technical person/Knowledge may be required to ascertain the fact which is to be proved. The section 3 for , “Document” and “Proved” reflects that, the principles of Indian Evidence Act are not changed in any way to prove the electronic documents. Being Jorgan (technical Words) in the Information Technology Act , some may feel that, it is difficult law to understand.  In this article an attempt is made to compare traditional method with the  digital document/evidence. It is not exhaustive but some material points are discussed in question /answer forms.
  1.  How e-mail has to be prove ? How printed copy of e-mail has to be proved ?How e-mail has to be proved without 65(B) Certificate ?
Answer( not exhaustive)  :-E-mail means electronic mail.  Section 88, 88A, 114(f) of the Evidence Act with section 26 of the General Clause Act are relevant sections for sending and receipt of e-mail and its proof. Firstly see, whether  email copy is original print out from computer or it is a copy of print out. In fact, the requirement of originality for paper document is applied differently in email evidence. If data are stored in a computer or similar device, any printout readable by sight, shown to reflect the data accurately, is deemed as “original”. To admit emails into evidence, the proponent must show the origin and integrity of emails. He must show who or what originated the email and whether the content is complete in the form intended, free from error or fabrication. In discovery, the proponent needs to prove that the hard copy of the email evidence is consistent with the one in the computer and includes all the information held in the electronic document.
Next stage follows that before admissibility the document has to meet the requirements of authentication or identification. This is a process of verification that establishes that the document is what it purports to be. I.e. that the email was made by the author indicated therein and is unaltered except for the change in the document generated automatically such as adding the date and time in case of email and address. The burden is on the person adducing the data message to prove its authenticity by adducing relevant evidence therefore that the document is what it purports to be. Where best evidence is the evidence required, the rule of best evidence is fulfilled upon proof of the authenticity of the electronic records system in or by which the data was recorded or stored. In assessing the evidential weight the  court shall have regard to the reliability of the manner in which the data message was generated, stored or communicated; the reliability of the manner in which the authenticity of the data message was maintained; the manner in which the originator of the data message or electronic record was identified; and any other relevant factor.

The authenticity of the electronic records system such as a computer is presumed in the absence of any evidence to the contrary where there is evidence that the system was operating properly. Where the record is stored by a party adverse to the production of the email or data message; evidence is led that the record was stored in the usual and ordinary course of business by a party who is not a party to the suit. The Act specifically provides that it does not modify the statutory or common law rules for the admissibility of evidence. For admissibility of electronic records, specific criteria have been made in the Indian Evidence Act to satisfy the prime condition of authenticity or reliability which may be strengthened by means of new techniques of security being introduced by advancing technologies.  It also requires A] Integrity of the data. B] Integrity of the hardware/software c] Security of the system.
Each user on the Internet has a unique address in the format – username @ domain name eg. sanjaysalkute@gmail.com. This address helps you in identifying a user to whom you wish to send e-mail. The sender composes the mail message using his mail client software eg. Netscape mail, outlook express, Eudora,Pin etc.
Important points to be remember while hearing to the matter  :-Email can  be send by computer, mobile, tab etc. If  it is send by mobile phone then said handset has to be seized. Deleted etc. data has to be recovered. Location from where it was sent has to be ascertain. Web URLs/Content, Images/Video has to ascertain .
1. Ownership and possession – Identify the individuals who created , modified, or accessed a file, and the ownership and possession of questioned data by placing the subject with the device at a particular time and date, locating files of interest in non-default locations, recovering passwords that indicate possession or ownership, and identifying contents of files that are specific to a user.
2. Application and file analysis – Identify information relevant to the investigation by examining file content, correlating files to installed applications, identifying relationships between files (e.g., e-mail files to e-mail attachments), determining the significance of unknown file types, examining system configuration settings, and examining file metadata (e.g., documents containing authorship identification).
3. Time frame analysis – Determine when events occurred on the system to associate usage with an individual by reviewing any logs present and the date/time stamps in the file system, such as the last modified time. Besides call logs, the date/time and content of messages and e-mail can prove useful. Such data can also be corroborated with billing and subscriber records kept by the service provider .
4. Data hiding analysis – Detect and recover hidden data that may indicate knowledge, ownership, or intent by correlating file headers to file extensions to show intentional obfuscation; gaining access to password-protected, encrypted, and compressed files.  The problem of hacking or virues destroying the emails has not been dealt with in India .The onus is to decide what part of the series of letters (emails) is necessary.  This is not as equitable way as both parties might separately have important information which supports their cause.  In such situation, it would be best to allow both parties to choose their relevant parts separately and then ask the court to look into the relevance of submissions.  This way  the court will not miss out on any revelation that might be made by the parties in either case, and will be able to meet the stated purpose of the section i.e. to grasp the full understanding of the nature and effect of the statement, and of the circumstances under which it was made.
 Points to consider for Proof: For email evidence, the burden of proof lies with the party who wishes to employ an email record as evidence of an electronic transaction and therefore such records must be in a court admissible . This will require independent verification of the components mathematically:-
E-mails are composed of a “header” and “body”.While the body of the email contains the individual text composed by the sender, the header listing the sender’s name and address, the recipient’s user name and address, the transmission date and time and the subject matter of the mailing. If email is produced by a party from the party’s files and on its face purports to have been sent by that party, these circumstances alone may suffice to establish authenticity. Authentication should be made through a knowledgeable witness who can identify the authorship as well as the documents appearance, contents, substance, internal patterns, or other distinctive characteristics. Given that most emails contained certain identifying markers, such as the address from which they were sent, the name of the sender, or the company name, that information, coupled with their production during discovery, should be enough to satisfy the authentication requirements.
§  The original message content and all attachments
§  The uniform time (not the sender’s desktop computer time) of transmission (sending and receipt) of the message .
§  The underlying transmission meta data that for court purposes serves as the recorded digital snap shot of both servers’ sender and recipient.
§  Collection transaction data that under terms of electronic law .
§  The email must of course be dispatched to what is, in fact the email address of the intended recipient.
Some Questions to be answer before proof the document:
1.      What is email client Software ?
2.      What Hardware was used to send/receive  email ?  e.g computer, Tab, Mobile etc.
3.      When event occurred on system? There should be  Uniform time of transmission of the message (when send when received).
4.       Who was running system ?
5.      Who was present at the time of sending ?
6.      What is details of call logs of account, date,  time and type of file system, last modified time, contents of messages, billing of subscriber record kept by the service provider ?
7.       What part of the series of emails are necessary to prove the fact?
                        Address proof :-        Civil:-both parties have to produce emails received during the  said period.
                                                Burden of proof :-     Who wishes to employ an email record as   evidence.  It requires independent verifications- Email header-body. Authentication may be made from the witness who identify the   authorship of         account/address, documents, contents, substance.
                                                Attachment files :-     contents and attachment has to be proved.
8. What are special precautions to prove email in case of crime?
            Crime :-If email send through computer  then identify the file content, correlated files,     relations between files,unknown files and its relations, examine the system, meta date            (documents containing authorship and identification recorded digital snap shot of both       server’s sender and recipient).  Detect and recover hidden data which shows ownership,         compressed files.
If mails send by mobile then  handset has to be seized with Sim card, to detect, deleted files        has to be recovered, Location from where it was sent, Web/URL/contents, Images, video etc.          Ownership, possessor of mobile at particular time, date place, recovery of password, identify            the contents of mobile data connected with the user and cause of action.
9.What is procedure if the integrity is challenged ?
If integrity of the contents or time of receipt          is challenged then record must sent to expert.
10.How to prove admissibility of email ?
All sections which are given in Indian Evidence Act for Documentary Evidence are          applicable .  Whether print out is original or copy?  To prove original it is necessary to prove      origin and integrity, show that who and what originated the mail, whether contents are       complete, free from error or fabricated.  In discovery the hard copy of mail is consistent with   in the computer and includes all information held in the document.  It is necessary to prove       that, it was unaltered except the change in the document generated automatically such as             adding the date, time. It is necessary to prove the authenticity of the electronic records     system or by which the data recorded or stores.  The reliability of the manner in which the        date message was generated, stores or  communicated, the reliability of the manner in which            the authenticity of the date message was maintained, the manner in which the originator of       the data message or relevant record was identified, and other relevant factors.  Print out of      email is admissible without actually filing the original soft copy.
11. How to prove that, system was properly working ?
Show that the system was working properly, the evidence is necessary to show that, record           was stores in the usual and ordinary course of business by a party (provider) who is not party             to the case.  If some one challenges the accuracy of the computer evidence or electronic        evidence or interpolation then he must prove the same beyond reasonable doubt.
12.What is protected method to send email ? For security send email by digital signature which           is followed by sms or phone about key/signature.
Relevant Case laws :-
–Ark Shipping Co. Ltd. – Vrs- Grt Ship Management Pvt. Ltd reported in 2008(1) ARBLR 317 (Model Affidavit Section 65B)
- State- Vrs-Navjot Sandhu 2005 (11) SCC 600 (certificate under section 65B not necessary)
- State of Delhi – Vrs—Mohd Afzal and others 2003(3) 11 JCC 1669
- Commissioner of Customs Mumbai—Vrs—Ridhi Sidhi Furniture Fitting Co.2002 (144) ELT 444 (Name of sender of the email was blocked in copies supplied to the importer and the address of the person sending the quotation was not known as well)
- Capt O.P Molhotra and another –Vrs– The State of Haryana decided on 5-11-2012 Punjab Haryana High Court.
E-mail/Electronic Document Proof ? (Part-II)
In continuation of previous article (tips) to prove electronic document . Following are  material points to prove other documents also( not exhaustive). Both  articles are for  Legal Literacy , to those who have little concern with the electronic documents proof and do not know method to produce in court of law)
Face Book ( points to prove)
Nature of Facebook :- Registered user creates profile. You can  upload photos, video, send message, keep in touch with  friends, has public features like Groups, events, pages.  It has  Wall, Virtual Photo Album.  It allows friends to comment on each other, may broadcast announcement.  It offers a range of privacy, Message Box is  for private use. It has facility to hide or  disclose our profile from particular friend or friends .  But, before making friend make sure about the requested of the friend. Wall is the area on page or profile where friends and fans can post their thoughts, views or criticisms for everyone to see.

Prove :-  It should be authenticated data like other electronic message proof.  For which there should be research of friends correct details, web page print, URL list (available at about us).  In fact many people do not use their real name in such case  trace out  the real name by email address.

Admissibility : most of contents of face book are public domain.  Content of profile is not private.  Access to the contents of third person is legitimate and there no infringement of privacy.
CD, DVD, microchip etc.( points to prove )
1.      Who recorded it ? There should be  certificate as per Information Technology Act.
2.      Affidavit from the person who recorded it.
3.       Copy of the CD has to be given to other side (who will defend ).
4.       If CD prepared from tape recorder then it is secondary evidence and can be proved by producing original tape.  It is necessary  to prove by which device it was prepared.
5.       Court  may determine the voice recorded were of the person taking action.
6.       It has to play in the court.
7.       Evidence has to be considered for admissibility, recording of evidence and appreciation of evidence.
8.        It should be produced from proper custody.  Source and manner of acquiring the
CD and authenticity of contents has to be proved.
1.      Person who has occasion to hear the voice has to be examined.

1.      Voice has to be identified and accuracy of the recording has to be proved and
possibility of erasing conversion, correctness, authenticity etc has to be considered.
1.      Other party has to give full opportunity to test the genuineness of the conversion.
2.       The conversion should be relevant, identification of the person has to be made by
or through witness any other person who was present at the time of
recording and if other side  denies then may identified through expert from forensic
science.
1.      May asked to other side to admit or deny the voice, picture etc.
2.       Burden is prove that it is not tampered and it is accurate.
3.       It can be used in cross examination of witness.
4.       Application can be moved to take sample voice of the party to send for forensic.
In forensic science, the time, frequency and intensity of speech sound waves which
forms graphs has to be compared with the disputed sound by Spectrograph machine.
For CD the forensic report certificates whether there is tampering or editing and
gives quality of sound, audio video may be required.
17. In video CD the picture quality, light, audio etc., persons can be identified from it.
In criminal case it requires sealing of CD etc to keep it in safe custody so as to play before the      court at the time of trail.
Relevant Case laws :-
Jagjit Singh –vrs—State of Haryana 2006(11) SCC1
Mrs. Havovi Kersi Sethna—vrs—Mr.Kesri Gustad
Sethand by Bombay High court in Civil Suit No.16 of 2008
Pootholi Damodaran Nair—Vrs–Babu V.K.2005 (2) ILR 145 Kerla High Court.
A. Soundararajan—vrs—P.Thangavel Madras High Court 24 November 2008.
% Reserved on 25th May 2012—vrs–State Delhi High Court dated 17 July 2012.
SMS (Short Message Service) ( points to prove)
1.         From which mobile/device, it was send ?
2.         Phone call/sms records has to be proved.
3.         The service provider has to establish the call and sms record. IME (15 digit number
-first six are approval of handset, next two for model of handset, next six serial
number  of handset but in GSM last number is ZERO) number with calling by SIM (depend         upon policy of government)
4.         From whom it was seized, who possess it and who was using it.
5.         If message are in mobile then print out  text.
6.         Communication with the persons with the mobile may be relevant.
7.         For SIM , whom it was activated, plan pre or post paid.
8.         Summary statement and call history from the service provider for SIM.
1.      If number is called on land line then whether caller ID facility is there.  There         should be evidence from the service provider about providing caller ID.
2.      In a trial computer generated bill does not require certificate under section 65B.
Relevant Case laws:-
Pravin Mahajan Case, generally court have not required direct evidence that the defendant entered the information into the computer or electronic device but the court have required circumstantial evidence.  Admitted print out of test message information that only the sender would know (for example the recipient’s nickname or details of a recent interaction between the sender and recipient).  Other circumstances include subsequent actions by the sender consistent with the electronic writing.
–Dheeraj Singh —vrs—State 2005(83) DRJ 255
–Kum. Shubha @ Shubhashankar—vrs–State of Kernataka 4th November 2010 (Kernataka High Court)
–Vadafone Essar Ltd—vrs–Raju Sud, Bopmbay High Court dated 22nd November, 2011.

Contents of Mobile Conversion
Relevant Case law:-
State (NCT of Delhi)–Vrs–Navjot Sandhu AIR 2005 SC 3820:- call records have to be proved.  Print out from service provider is required.

CCTV(Closed circuit Television):-(points to prove)
1.         Identification of person, location, disclosure of data, to verify existence of
relevant data.
2.         It should not be edited, tampered etc.
3.         The instrument has to be proved, if converted into VCD then said fact has to be
proved.  Affidavit of person who is incharge of CCTV
Relevant case law:-
–G. Shiril Saroj and others—vrs– Vinay Kanodia Delhi High Court 1st March 2011.
—Ex. Const. Mukesh Kumar –vs—UOI Delhi High Court dated 5th August 2011.
ATM
Relevant case law:-
Shri. P.Padmanabh S/o Papanna –Vrs—Syndicate Bank Limited reported in AIR 2008 Kant 42
It was  a case of plaintiff that there was malfunctioning of ATM machine that link  between the    ATM machine and computer got snapped and therefore the ATM machine allowed withdrawal   of amount.  Bank failed to prove correctness of entires in the account of other side.
—Moti@ Mohit –Vrs—State, 31 October, 2011 Delhi High Court.
–Niraj Kumar –Vs– Union Bank of India Bombay High Court dated 19th October 2007:Changing liked account number from 15 digits to 16 digits in the ID without permission or knowledge of his superior.  It shows the malafide intention to withdraw the amount.

VIDEO CONFERENCING
Relevant Case laws:-
State of Maharashtra—Vrs—Dr. Praful B. Desai 2003(4) SCC 601 : Video conferencing to examine the witness is permissible.  Precautions must be taken to identify the witness and ensure the accuracy of the equipment.
R. Sridharan—Vrs—R. Sukanya Madras High Court dated 30th March 2011: Accused and pleader can see the witness as clearly.  Demeanor can be observed.  Witness can be confronted with the documents and other materials or statement.  Charge can be framed through V.C-228.

Digital camera photo (points to prove)
1.         It is image without film or paper.
2.         Image may be degrade or altered, intentionally or accidentally.
3.         Integrity is always open to question.
4.         Printed copy is not necessary, it can be visualized on monitor but it is desirable to
make document on record.
5.         It has to be filed with affidavit of section 65A or section 90A of Evidence Act
(in case of 5 years old)
6.         Its microchip, CD etc where it was preserved for first time has to be produced.
7.         The most important requirement is authentication. Unless the photograph is
admitted by the other party, then the party who seek to introduce the photograph
into evidence must produce evidence that the photograph is accurate and correct.

8.         If possible then attach digital signature to the photo (but it is not rule and it is for
safety to prove it)
9.         In any way the original image has to be saved in original format.
10.       In case the image is edited or enhanced then new edited image has to be saved with
another name to avoid by replacing/overwriting over original image.
11.       Oral evidence of person can be produced who saw scene while taking photo.
Evidence of photography colour lab.
1.      The photograph machine description its mega pixel etc has to be disclosed.
———End——-


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