Court Invalidates Demands Based on Unauthenticated Electronic Data u/s 65B of Indian Evidence Act & Section 36B.

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....Invesitgation - admissibility of computer printouts as evidences or not - Electronic records being more susceptible to tempering, alteration, transposition, excision etc. without such safeguards, the whole trial based on proof of electronic records can lead to travesty of justice. The provisions of Section 65B of Indian Evidence Act and Section 36B of Central Excise Act, 1944 of the Act are pari-materia. It is evident from the panchanama, and the appeals records that the investigating officer had failed to follow the safeguard as mandated u/s 36B of the Act. - demand based on such unauthenticated data is not sustainable - AT....