Indian Evidence Act, 1872
15. Facts bearing on question whether act was accidental
or intentional
When there is a question
whether an act was accidental or intentional, 14[ or done with a
particular knowledge or intention,] the fact that such act formed part of a
series of similar occurrences, in each of which the person doing the act was
concerned, is relevant.
Illustration
(a) A is accused of
burning down his house in order to obtain money for which it is insured.
The facts that a lived
in several houses successively, each of which he insured, in each of which a
fire occurred, and after each of which fires. A received payment from a
different insurance office, are relevant, as tending to show that the fires
were not accidental.
(b) A is employed to
receive money from the debtors, of B. It is A’s duty to make entries in a book
showing the amounts received by him. He makes an entry showing that on a
particular occasion he received less than he really did receive.
The question is,
whether this false entry was accidental or intentional.
The facts that other
entries made by A in the same book are false, and that the false entry is in
each case in favor of A, relevant.
(c) A is accused of
fraudulently delivering to B a counterfeit rupee.
The question is,
whether the delivery of the rupee was accidental.
The facts that, soon
before or soon after the delivery to B, A delivered counterfeit rupees to C, D
and E are relevant, as showing that the delivery to B was not accidental.