As per the provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, which one of the following types of questions is not lawful in cross-examination ?

Under Section 146 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, questions in cross-examination are generally lawful if they test the veracity of a witness, discover their position in life, or shake their credit by injuring their character. These correspond to options C, D, and A respectively.

However, following the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, a proviso was added to Section 146. It explicitly prohibits asking questions or adducing evidence regarding the general immoral character or previous sexual experience of a victim in prosecutions for sexual offences (such as rape under Section 376 of the IPC) where the issue of consent is involved. This amendment was intended to prevent the character assassination of the prosecutrix during trial. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer as such questions are no longer lawful.