A is accused of a child's murder. The following facts are constructed in the case: I. An hour before…

Section 3 of the Indian Evidence Act (now section 2 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam) defines evidence; proof of surrounding facts from which the fact in issue is inferred is "circumstantial evidence". Here A took the child to the place, returned alone and had a blood-stained collar, but no witness saw the killing, so this is not direct evidence; nor is it secondary evidence of a document. A conviction on such evidence needs a complete chain excluding any reasonable innocent explanation.