law: Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1973
  
  315.Accused person to be competent witness.-
  (1) Any person accused of an offence before a
  
  Criminal Court shall be a competent witness for the defense and may give
  
  evidence on oath in disproof of the charges made against him or any person
  
  charged together with him at the same trial:
  
  Provided that-
  (a) he shall not be called as a witness except
  
  on his own request in writing;
  (b) his failure to give evidence shall not be
  
  made the subject of any comment by any of the parties or the Court or give rise
  
  to any presumption against himself or any person charged together with him at
  
  the same trial
  (2) Any person against whom proceedings are
  
  instituted in any Criminal Court under section 98, or section 107, or section
  
  108, or section 109, or section 110, or under Chapter IX or under Part B, Part
  
  C or Part D of Chapter X, may offer himself as a witness in such proceedings:
  
  Provided that in proceedings under section 108, section 109 or section
  
  110, the failure of such person to give evidence shall not be made the subject
  
  or any comment by any of the parties or the Court or give rise to any
  
  presumption against him or any other person proceeded against together with him
  
  at the same inquiry.