VIPIN SANGHI, J.

1. The present leave petition has been preferred under Section 378(4) Cr. P.C. to seek leave to appeal against the judgment dated 03.07.2014 passed by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate-04 Dwarka Courts, New Delhi in CC No. 1884/1/12 – a complaint filed by the petitioner under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act (the NI Act) titled Lekh Raj Sharma vs. Yashpal Gupta. By the impugned judgment, the learned MM has acquitted the respondent/accused of the alleged offence. After hearing the learned counsel, the Court was inclined to grant leave and with consent of learned counsel, heard their argument on the appeal and reserved judgment. Accordingly, the Registry is directed to register and number the criminal appeal.

2. The case of the complainant-appellant, as narrated in the complaint, is that the complainant and accused have known each other for the last about 40 years and have had close friendly relations with each other. The accused had a manufacturing unit and was carrying on the business in the name of Yash Engineering, being a proprietary firm of the accused. The accused started facing some financial crisis in his business and the complainant c