Home › Circulars › RBI/2008-09/423

UCBs must certify computer records for court evidence

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet

Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/423 · issued 31 Mar 2009 · ~2 min read

Quick answerRBI advises all Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks to attach a statutory certificate under Section 2A(a) and (b) of the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891 when submitting computer printouts or data as evidence in courts. Without this certificate, courts would not be obliged to admit the evidence.

What changed

Following a Maharashtra Civil Judge's observation, RBI has issued a circular reminding all UCBs that computer-stored data submitted as evidence in courts must be accompanied by a certificate as prescribed under Section 2A(a) and (b) of the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891. This is not a new law but a reinforcement of existing statutory requirements.

What it means for you

UCBs must now ensure that any computer printout or digital record presented in court is certified as per the Act, or it may not be admitted as evidence. This adds a procedural step for banks when responding to court summons or producing records in litigation. Non-compliance could weaken the bank's legal position in disputes.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Train legal and compliance teams on the certificate format under Section 2A(a) and (b) of the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891.
Update internal procedures to attach the statutory certificate whenever computer printouts or digital records are submitted to courts.
Audit recent court submissions to ensure compliance and rectify any missing certificates.
Coordinate with IT to generate printouts that can be easily certified as per the Act.

Who it affects

All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Legal and compliance departments of UCBs, IT teams handling record retrieval and printouts

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Decoded by BankPulse 2026-06-19 10:41 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn 05 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the certificate required under Section 2A(a) and (b) of the Bankers' Books Evidence Act?

The certificate must confirm that the printout is from the bank's computer system, that it was produced in the ordinary course of business, and that the system was working properly at the time. The exact format is prescribed in the Act.

Does this circular apply to all banks or only UCBs?

This specific circular is addressed to all Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks. However, similar provisions under the Bankers' Books Evidence Act apply to all banks, so other banks should also ensure compliance.

What happens if we submit a computer printout without the certificate?

The court is not obliged to admit the document as evidence without further proof. This could delay proceedings or weaken your case.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)

Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)

RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1961: UBD.CO.BPD.PCB.Cir.No.57/12.05.001/2008-09 — "Bankers' Book Evidence Act, 1891 - Submission of Certified Copies of Entries / Print out to Courts" dated March ”

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI

In a recent case heard at Court of a Civil Judge in Maharashtra, the Hon'ble Court advised Reserve Bank of India to instruct all the UCBs that whenever they submit any data stored in their computer systems as evidence under Bankers' Book Evidence Act, 1891 to a Court, the data must be accompanied by a certificate prescribed under Section 2 A (a) and (b) of the Act ibid ( relevant extract enclosed ). 
 2. It is therefore advised that all UCBs should comply with the provisions of the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891 while furnishing certified copies and computer printouts to Courts. In the absence of such statutory certificate, the court would not be obliged to admit the document in evidence without any further proof.

Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/423 · issued 31 Mar 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.

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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4912&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.