Section 63 BSA Certificate Template for WhatsApp Chats
The Section 63(4)(c) certificate is the single most important document required to make WhatsApp chats admissible as evidence in Indian courts under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023.
Upload your WhatsApp .txt or .zip export → Get a court-ready PDF with Section 63 certificate, SHA-256 hash, and formatted chat timeline. Free. No data leaves your device.
Generate Court-Ready PDF — FreeThe Legal Reality Under BSA 2023
The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 — which replaced the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 — governs how digital evidence like WhatsApp chats are treated in Indian courts. Under Section 63, electronic records are admissible if:
- The computer (or device) producing the record was in regular use during the relevant period
- Information was being stored or processed by that device regularly
- The output accurately represents the stored information
- A certificate under Section 63(4)(c) is provided by a responsible person
The landmark Supreme Court judgment in Arjun Panditrao Khotkar v. Kailash Kushanrao Gorantyal (2020) 7 SCC 1 established that this certificate is mandatory — without it, electronic evidence is inadmissible.
Why Screenshots Are Not Enough
Screenshots contain no technical metadata. Courts cannot verify when, where, or how the image was created.
Any photo editor can modify text in screenshots. Without a hash, there is no way to prove the content is genuine.
Screenshots cannot be accompanied by a valid Section 63(4)(c) certificate because the certificate must describe the process by which the record was produced.
A WhatsApp .txt export is a structured, timestamped record that can be hashed and certified — the legally correct method.
Technical Compliance: What Courts Actually Need
The Section 63(4)(c) certificate must document a technical process. Chat2Evidence generates all of this automatically:
Frequently Asked Questions
A valid Section 63(4)(c) certificate must include: (1) Name and designation of the person certifying, (2) Description of the device on which the electronic record was produced, (3) A statement that the computer was used regularly during the relevant period, (4) A SHA-256 or equivalent cryptographic hash value, and (5) A declaration of authenticity signed by the certifier.
The certificate must be signed by a person occupying a responsible official position in relation to the operation of the device, or by a person who is in the best position to explain how the electronic record was produced — typically the phone owner or the custodian of the device.
Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 has been superseded by Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023. The BSA applies to all new cases filed after July 1, 2024. Old cases may still refer to Section 65B, but the certification requirements are substantially similar.
No. The certificate is a declaration by the device owner, not a legal document requiring a lawyer. However, it must be executed on non-judicial stamp paper in some jurisdictions and may need to be submitted as an affidavit. Consult your advocate for specific requirements in your court.
Without a valid Section 63 BSA certificate, your WhatsApp evidence will almost certainly be rejected as inadmissible. The Supreme Court in Arjun Panditrao Khotkar (2020) made it clear that electronic evidence without a proper certificate has no evidentiary value.
Yes. Chat2Evidence automatically generates a Section 63(4)(c) compliant certificate with your device details, party names, conversation period, and SHA-256 hash — all formatted as a court-ready PDF.
SHA-256 is a cryptographic algorithm that creates a unique 64-character fingerprint of your file. If even one character in the chat is changed, the hash changes completely. This proves to the court that the submitted evidence has not been tampered with.
Yes, Chat2Evidence is currently free during its launch period. There are no watermarks, no subscriptions, and no limits. Your data never leaves your device.
The PDF is formatted in A4 size, court-ready, with the certificate on Page 1 and the formatted chat timeline on subsequent pages. All pages include headers, page numbers, and party identification.
Yes. Section 63 BSA applies to both civil and criminal proceedings. The certificate format is the same regardless of case type. Always consult your advocate for jurisdiction-specific requirements.