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MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT
G.S. Ahluwalia, J.
Vinod Chaurasiya and Anr. —Petitioners
versus
R.S. Bhadoriya —Respondent
MCRC No.7437 of 2010
Decided on 16.2.2017

Advocates:
Counsel for the Parties:
For the Applicants:Shri Sunil Kumar Jain, Advocate
For the Respondent:Shri S.S. Dhakad, Advocate

Headnote:Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881—Section 142—Dishonour of cheque—Delay of 17 days in filing complaint—Application for condonation of delay on plea that holder of cheque died and applicant as legal heir was busy in last rites and delay occured—Initially application was filed under Section 5 of Limitation Act and on its notice respondent-appellant appeared and objected to maintainability of application—Complainant then filed aplication under Section 142 of the Act and Magistrate allowed the application—Session Court dismissed revision against that order—Misc. petition—When there was a substantive provision for condonation of delay then taking the view that application under Section 5 of Limitation Act, was filed was too technical view—By issuing notice of application under Section of Limiation Act, Court could not be said to have taken cognizance of complaint—Order impugned suffered no illegality and was not to be interfered. (Paras 13 to 20)

       Result: Petition dismissed.

       

ORDER

G.S. Ahluwalia, J.—This petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. has been filed against the order dated 14-6-2016 passed by IVth A.S.J., Gwalior in Cr.R. No.600205/2016 arising out of order dated 21-3-2016 passed by J.M.F.C., Gwalior in Criminal Complaint Case No.3311/2014, by which application filed by the respondent under Section 142 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (In Short NI Act, 1881), has been allowed and the delay in filing the complaint under Section 138 of NI Act, 1881 has been condoned.

2. The facts necessary for the disposal of the application in short are that a criminal complaint under Section 138 of NI Act, 1881, has been filed by the respondent against the applicant. The complaint was filed on 03-6-2014 along with an application under Section 5 of Limitation Act for condonation of delay. It was pleaded in the application that the complainant is the legal heir of holder of Cheque, who died on 28-4-2014 and as the complainant was busy in performing last rites of the holder of cheque therefore, the complaint could not be filed within a period of limitation.

3. Magistrate issued notice to the applicants of application filed under Section 5 of Indian Limitation Act, N.I. Act, 1881, it was mentioned that there is a delay of 20 days.

4. The applicants filed their reply to the application filed under Section 142 of NI Act, 1881 and prayed that the respondent has failed to explain the delay and therefore, the delay in filing the complaint under Section 138 of NI Act, 1881 may not be condoned.

5. The Magistrate after considering the, applications filed under Section 5 of Indian Limitation Act as well as under Section 142 of NI under Section 142 of NI Act, 1881 seeking Act, 1881, and considering the fact that the holder of the cheque had expired on 28-4-2014 and by holding that the delay of 17 days in filling the complaint appears to be bonafide, accordingly condoned the delay and fixed the case for hearing on the question of registration of complaint.

6. Being aggrieved by the order of the Magistrate, the applicants filed a Criminal Revision No.600205/2016 before the Revisional Court, which too has suffered dismissal by order dated 14-6-2016. Hence, this Petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C.

7. It is contended by the Counsel for the applicants that initially, the complaint was filed along with an application for condonation of delay under Section 5 of Limitation Act, and since, the provisions of Limitation Act are not applicable, therefore, the Magistrate should have rejected the application even without issuing notice to the applicants. Further more, the application under Section 142 of NI Act, 1881 was filed only after an objection by the applicants with regard to non-maintainability of application under Section 5 of Limitation Act was raised and as the application under Section 142 of NI Act, 1881 was filed at a belated stage therefore, the said application should not have been entertained. It is further submitted that the moment, Magistrate issued notice under Section 5 of Limitation Act, it would mean that he has taken cognizance of offence which in fact was not permissible. It was further submitted that in the application under Section 5 •of Limitation Act, the condonotion of 15 days delay was sought, whereas in the application filed under Section 142 of NI Act, 1881, condonation of 20 days was sought, and thus, ‘the respondent has not property explained the delay. At the last, it was submitted by the Counsel for the applicants, that even otherwise, the application filed under Section 142 of NT Act, 1881 does not disclose sufficient cause for condonation of delay.

8. Per contra, it is submitted by the Counsel for the respondent that an application for condonation of delay was filed along with the complaint, and merely because a wrong provision of law was quoted, it would not mean that the delay in filling the complaint cannot be condoned. Further it is submitted that as the holder of the cheque had expired o



























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