Is CCTV footage admissible as evidence in India?

CCTV footage can be relied on as evidence in India, but it is an electronic record, so courts expect its source, integrity and the conditions of recording to be established rather than taken on trust. In practice that means producing a certificate for the footage and being able to show it was not altered after collection. Whether any particular clip is ultimately admitted is a decision for the court, on the facts and the provision as it stands.

How to Certify CCTV Footage for Court in India

Q: Does CCTV footage need a Section 65B / Section 63 certificate?

CCTV footage is an electronic record, and Indian courts have routinely expected a certificate for such records. Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 carries forward the framing of Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act 1872. A certificate that documents the camera, recorder, recording window and integrity hashes is the practical way to put footage before the court in proper form, though the exact requirement depends on the matter and the provision in force.

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P26-electronic-evidence-certificate.html" target="_blank" style="color:#3D61D2; text-decoration:underline;">Section 63 BSA 2023 electronic evidence certificate and the wider guide to electronic evidence certificates in India.

Step 1 — Act Fast and Preserve the Footage

This is the step people get wrong, and it is the most important one. DVR and NVR systems record on a loop and automatically overwrite the oldest footage — often within a few days, sometimes less, depending on the disk size and number of cameras. Once the loop comes around, the footage is gone. Before anything else: secure the recorder, stop new recording over the relevant period (or isolate the device), and note the retention window — how far back the system actually holds. Footage overwritten before it was secured is the single biggest cause of lost CCTV evidence, and no certificate can recover a clip that no longer exists.

P26 carries forward the framing of Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act 1872. A certificate that documents the camera, recorder, recording window and integrity hashes is the practical way to put footage before the court in proper form, though the exact requirement depends on the matter and the provision in force.

How do I stop CCTV footage from being overwritten?

DVR and NVR systems record on a loop and overwrite the oldest footage automatically, often within a few days. To stop the loss, secure the recorder as early as possible: stop new recording over the relevant period, disconnect or isolate the device, or export the needed clips immediately, and note the retention window. Footage overwritten before it is secured is the single biggest cause of lost CCTV evidence.

Does converting or re-encoding the video affect its evidential value?

Yes. Re-encoding or converting a clip to another format rewrites the underlying bytes, so the hash of the converted file no longer matches the original export. Where possible, export and certify the footage in the recorder's native or original format, and keep that original. If a converted copy is needed for viewing, treat it as a separate file and hash both, rather than discarding the original.

Who can certify CCTV footage for court?

Typically the person responsible for or with knowledge of the recording system and the export, such as the premises owner, the operator of the CCTV system or an investigator who collected the footage. e-Dex helps that person produce a clear, integrity-backed certificate, but it does not decide who must depose or how the certificate is tendered. Who must sign and how it is presented depends on the matter and the provision as it stands, and is a question for legal advice.