2014 Supreme(AP) 1163
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD
B. Siva Sankara Rao, J.
B. Omprakash - Appellants
Vs.
M. Gangadhar - Respondent
Criminal Appeal No. 833 of 2006
Decided On: 18.03.2014
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: T.V. Sri Devi
For Respondents/Defendant: D. Sangeetha Reddy and Public Prosecutor
Headnote:
Negotiable Instrument Act – Section 138 – Indian Panel Code - Section 420 - Cheque dishonored - Cognizance – Complainant on file of Judicial First Class Magistrate and on transfer to Mobile court re-numbered cheque issued by accused which debt is covered by - Promissory note borrowing of said amount and from the legal notice after dishonor of cheque when presented covered bank cheque return memo by notice that notice for not claimed returned covered by - It is in fact averred in complaint that prior to presentation of cheque - Cheque was presented and the same was also returned dishonored for insufficiency of funds and that complainant issued legal notice which is not marked before trail Court – Held, No doubt latest expression of the Apex Court held that dishonor of cheque and giving of notice no bar for successive presentation and giving of notice from subsequent presentation and dishonor and filing of private complaint case - From this expression it is contention to say trial Court went wrong in not taking cognizance of complaint also for offence of N.I. Act - It is not even a case of cognizance taken and ultimately from evidence on record held offence of N.I. Act not made out as at beginning cognizance itself was not taken and that was not questioned by complainant by filing any revision or appeal or other proceeding even before this Court Criminal Procedure Code Having same made final by virtue of subsequent expression of Apex Court supra it is not left open to the complainant to raise the issue in view of the legal bar - Coming to offence IPC no doubt full bench judgment of this Court in OPTS Marketing - Appeal dismissed (Para 6)
B. Siva Sankara Rao, J.
1. The complainant, who filed C.C. No. 119 of 2000 on the file of the Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate (Special Mobile), Nizamabad (Originally numbered as C.C. No. 5.11 of 1998 and on transfer to the Spl. Mobile court re-numbered as C.C. No. 119 of 2000); based on Ex. P. 2-cheque issued by the accused dated 07.12.1997 for Rs. 2,50,000/- which debt is covered by earlier Ex. A. 1-promissory note borrowing of said amount, dated 06.06.1997 and from the legal notice after dishonour of the cheque when presented covered by Ex. P. 4, bank cheque return memo, dated 03.04.1998 by Ex. P-3 notice dated 13.04.1998, that notice for not claimed returned covered by Ex. P. 5. It is in fact averred in the complaint that prior to the presentation of the cheque on 03.04.1998 earlier Ex. P. 2-cheque was presented on 08.12.1997 and the same was also returned dishonoured for insufficiency of funds and that the complainant issued legal notice dated 12.12.1997, which is not marked before the trial Court. It is based on that cause of action from subsequent presentation of the cheque dishonoured and notice given unclaimed, the complainant filed the private complaint case for the offences under Section 420 IPC and 138 of N.I. Act, the same was taken cognizance only under Section 420 IPC on 10.07.1998 saying the earlier presentation of the cheque on 08.12.1997 and issue of legal notice for the dishonour of the cheque on 12.12.1997 accrued cause of action once started will not further accrue by suspending existing cause of action to maintain the complaint under Section 138 of N.I. Act. It was there from for the offence under Section 420 IPC on a complaint case taken cognizance by the trial Court against the accused-charge framed under Section 420 IPC as provided for private warrant case and on accused when questioned denied commission of the offence and claims to be tried.
2. During the course of trial, on behalf of the complainant P.Ws. 1 to 5 were examined and Exs. P. 1 to P. 6 supra marked and accused came to witness box with permission under Section 315 Cr.P.C. as D.W. 1 and cause examined D.Ws. 2 to 4 and placed reliance upon Exs. D. 1 to D. 7 which include another C.C. No. 135 of 1998 based on loan agreement and three promissory notes laid in disputing the issuing of cheque and execution of promissory note for the so called debt. The trial Court referring to the expression of full bench of this Court in Opts Marketing (P.) Ltd. v. State of Andhra Pradesh, convicted the accused having found him guilty for the offence under Section 420 IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year and to pay fine of Rs. 5,000/- with default-sentence of simple imprisonment for six months. Against which, the accused preferred Appeal No. 3 of 2003 and the 1st appellate Court mainly at para. 10 in pages 10 and 11, observed that admittedly the cheque consideration is depending upon earlier promissory note-Ex. P. 1 debt and either in the complaint or in the evidence says nothing on dishonest intention of cheating for the borrowal covered by promissory note debt to say for which cheque issued and for no consideration under the cheque separately paid nothing parted with or acted or omitted to do any act to a tribute said cheating there from by any intention to deceive and thereby offence not made out for no fraudulent or dishonest intention at the time of making promise from the inception for the debt. It is impugning the same, the second appeal is filed with leave granted under Section 378(4) Cr.P.C. The contentions in the grounds of appeal are the 1st appellate Court went wrong in reversing the finding of guilty of the accused for having been convicted for the offence under Section 420 IPC by re-appreciation of evidence in a wrong perspective instead of looking into the factum of the accused issued the cheque without intention to honour that is further supported by subsequent events like issuing notice to the bank all