IMPORTANT POINT
The court affirmed that timely prosecution and vigilance in asserting rights are crucial in cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

ORDER :

1. The instant petition is filed under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. assailing the order dated 03.10.2023 passed by learned Additional District and Sessions Judge No. 3, Alwar, in Criminal Appeal No. 23/2019 titled as Dinesh Vs. Savitri whereby, the application filed by the petitioner under Section 391 of Cr.P.C. read with Section 311 Cr.P.C. and Section 65 of the Indian Evidence Act was dismissed.

2. In a nutshell, the factual narrative of the instant matter is that the complainant filed a complaint under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act (hereinafter referred to as the NI Act) on 10.01.2011, before the learned Trial Court against the petitioner. Therein, it was stated that the complainant had given Rs. 4,00,000/- (Rupees Four Lacs Only) to the petitioner collateral to a cheque (dated 06.12.2010) of the same amount. Howsoever, the said cheque got dishonored and the complainant, received a letter dated 11.12.2010 with a remark “account closed.” Aggrieved of the aforementioned the complainant after serving a legal notice, filed a complaint registered as Criminal Complaint No. 718/2015, before the Addl. Civil Judge (S.D.) and Judicial Magistrate No. 2, Alwar (Annexure-1). It is pertinent to note that the complainant and the petitioner were in a cordial relation from past 10-15 years.

3. In this backdrop, learned counsel representing the petitioner submitted that whilst taking cognizance of the complaint filed by the complainant, learned Trial Court vide order dated 11.02.2019 convicted the accused-petitioner (Annexure-2). The relevant extract from the order dated 11.02.2019 is reproduced herein-below:

^^vfHk;qDr ds fo:) /kkjk 138 ijØkE; fy[kr vf/kfu;e ds varxZr vkjksfir vijk/k dks lkfcr djus ds fy;s fuEufyf[kr fcUnq lkfcr fd;k tkuk vko';d gS & vfHk;qDr }kjk ifjoknh dks oS| _.k ;k nkf;Ro ds mUekspu gsrq fookfnr pSd dk fn;k tkuk] pSd dk cSad }kjk /kkjk 138 ijØkE; fy[kr vf/kfu;e ds Áko/kkuksa ds rgr vuknfjr gksuk] ijØkE; fy[kr vf/kfu;e ds Áko/kkuksa ds vuqlkj vfHk;qDr dks dkuwuh uksfVl leqfpr irs ij fn;k tkuk] uksfVl ÁkIr gksus ds i'pkr fofgr le;kof/k esa vfHk;qDr }kjk Hkqxrku djus esa vlQy jguk rFkk fofgr le;kof/k esa U;k;ky; ds le{k ifjokn is'k fd;k tkukA U;k;ky; ds fouez erkuqlkj vfHk;qDr }kjk ifjokfn;k dks m/kkj yh x;h jkf'k dh vnk;xh ckcr fookfnr pSd la[;k 855835 fnukafdr 06-12-2010 jkf'k 4]00]000@& :i;s ¼v{kjs pkj yk[k :i;s½ dk fn;k Fkk tks Án'kZ ih 1 gSA ifjokfn;k }kjk ÁLrqr cSad eseksj.Me Án'kZ ih 2 ls ;g rF; HkyhHkkafr Áekf.kr gksrk gS fd ifjokjfn;k }kjk fookfnr pSd dks Hkqxrku gsrq cSad esa ÁLrqr djus ij ^^vdkm.V DyksTM** ds vadu ds lkFk cSad }kjk fookfnr pSd vuknfjr fd;k x;k gSA i=koyh ij ÁLrqr ifjokfn;k }kjk vfHk;qDr dks Ásf"kr fof/kd uksfVl Án'kZ ih 3] jlhn Mkd[kkuk Án'kZ ih 4 ,oe vly uksfVl Án'kZ ih 5 ds }kjk vfHk;qDr ds lgh irs ij dkuwuh uksfVl fn;k tkuk Áekf.kr gksrk gS rFkk vfHk;qDr }kjk uksfVl ÁkIr gksus ds 15 fnol ds Hkhrj ifjokfn;k dks fdlh Ádkj dk Hkqxrku ugha fd;k x;k ftlds i'pkr ifjokfn;k dks okn gsrqd ÁkIr gks x;k rFkk ifjokfn;k }kjk mDr ifjokn U;k;ky; esa is'k fd;k x;kA vfHk;qDr vius fo:) yh x;h mi/kkj.kk fd mlus fookfnr pSd fof/kr% ÁorZuh; _.k ;k nkf;Ro ds iw.kZr% ;k Hkkxr% mUekspu ds fy;s ifjokfn;k dks fn;k Fkk] dk [kaMu djus esa loZFkk vlQy jgk gSA

vr% mijksDr leLr foospu ,oe Ádj.k ds rF;ksa ,oe ifjokfn;k }kjk ÁLrqr fd;s x;s ekSf[kd ,oe nLrkosth lk{; ls vfHk;qDr ds fo:) vkjksfir vijk/k varxZr /kkjk 138 ijØkE; fy[kr vf/kfu;e dk ;qfDr;qDr lansg dh lhek ls ijs lkfcr djus esa ifjokfn;k lQy jgh gSA vr% vfHk;qDr dks /kkjk 138 ,uŒvkbZŒ ,DV ds vijk/k ds fy;s nks"kfl) ?kksf"kr fd;k tkuk U;k;ksfpr Árhr gksrk gSA

vkns'k

vr% vfHk;qDr fnus'k pan 'kekZ iq= iafMr Jh Hkxor Lo:i 'kekZ tkfr czkg~e.k fuoklh esgrkc flag dk ukSgjk] vyoj dks /kkjk 138 ,uŒvkbZŒ ,DV ds vijk/k esa nks"kfl) ?kksf"kr fd;k tkrk gSA**

4. Further, it was contended that being aggrieved of the said order an appeal was preferred by the accused-petitioner before the District and Sessions Judge, Alwar on 25.02.2019. Subsequently, and application dated 25