Section 244: Certificates of arrest or surrender of deserters and absentees

(1) Where a magistrate's court in pursuance of section 243 of this Act deals with a person as illegally absent, then when that person is delivered into service custody, there shall be handed over a certificate in the prescribed form signed by a magistrate, containing the Prescribed particulars relating to his arrest or surrender and the proceedings before the court.
(2) Where a person is delivered into service custody without being brought before a court, whether under the provisions of section 243 of this Act or under any other lawful power, there shall be handed over a certificate in the prescribed form signed by the police officer who causes him to be delivered into service custody, containing the prescribed particulars relating to his surrender.
(3) In a proceeding for an offence under section 59 or 60 of this Act-
(a) a document purporting to be a certificate handed over under subsection (1) or (2) of this section and to be signed as thereby required, shall be evidence of the matters stated in the certificate;
(b) where the proceeding is against a person who has been taken into service custody on arrest or surrender, a certificate in the prescribed form purporting to be signed by a provost officer or any corresponding officer of a force raised under the law of any other country or by any other place where that person was confined on being taken into custody, stating the fact, date, time and place of arrest or surrender, shall be evidence of the matters stated in the certificate.