The main legal point established in the judgment is the significance of Sections 118 and 139 of the N.I. Act in establishing the presumption of consideration for negotiable instruments and the burden of proof on the accused to disprove the same.

These Criminal Appeals are directed as against the order of acquittal made in various Calendar Cases noted in the tabular column given below, but the orders passed in all the calendar cases are one and the same day, dated 20.07.2005 on the file of the learned XVII Metropolitan Magistrate, Saidapet, Chennai.

Tabular Column

S. No.	Crl. A. Nos.	C.C. No.	Cheque No. & Date	Amount
1.	403 of 2006	591 of 1998	657378/1.10.1998	Rs.1,94,000/-
2.	404 of 2006	2360 of 1998	657380/	Rs.1,94,000/-
3.	405 of 2006	6598 of 1998	822356/1.9.1998	Rs.2,05,000/-
4.	406 of 2006	6599 of 1998	822369/	Rs.3,99,009/-
5.	407 of 2006	756 of 1999	822357/1.10.1998	Rs.2,05,000/-
6.	408 of 2006	760 of 1998	822370/3.10.1998	Rs.3,99,009/-
7.	409 of 2006	1319 of 1999	822371/	Rs.3,99,009/-
8.	410 of 2006	3223 of 1999	822374/3.2.99	Rs.3,99,009/-
9.	411 of 2006	3224 of 1999	822361/1.2.1999	Rs.2,05,000/-
10.	412 of 2006	4222 of 2001	822356/1.2.2001	Rs.1,72,200/-
11.	413 of 2006	4323 of 1999	/03.03.1999	Rs.3,99,009/-
12.	414 of 2006	4324 of 1999	822362/1.3.1999	Rs.2,05,000/-
13.	415 of 2006	5753 of 1999	657385/01.05.1999	Rs.1,94,000/-
14.	415 of 2006	8498 of 1999	836062/03.09.1999	Rs.2,34,218/-
15.	150 of 2006	3514 of 2001	348804/1.12.2000	Rs.1,72,200/-
16.	151 of 2006	1362 of 1999	657379/1.11.1998	Rs.1,94,000/-
17.	152 of 2006	3226 of 1999	657382/1.02.1999	Rs.1,94,000/-
18.	153 of 2006	90 of 2000	657390/1.10.1999	Rs.1,94,000/-
19.	154 of 2006	6355 of 1999	657381/1.01.1999	Rs.1,94,000/-
20.	155 of 2006	6730 of 1999	657377/1.09.1998	Rs.1,94,000/-
21.	156 of 2006	4228 of 1999	657383/1.03.1999	Rs.1,94,000/-
22.	157 of 2006	6354 of 1999	657386/1.06.1999	Rs.1,94,000/-
23.	183 of 2006	7224 of 1999	822379/3.07.1999	Rs.3,99,009/-
24.	184 of 2006	2430 of 1998	822372/1.12.1998	Rs.3,99,009/-
25.	185 of 2006	1320 of 1999	822358/01.11.1998	Rs.2,25,000/-
26.	94 of 2006	6199 of 1998	657361/16.08.1998	Rs.5,6 5,000/-
27.	95 of 2006	4887 of 1999	657368/16.03.1998	Rs.5,6 5,000/-
28.	96 of 2006	4225 of 2001	348809/01.04.2001	Rs.9,567/-

2. The parties in all these appeals are one and the same and hereafter called as their capacity before the trial court. The appellant in all these appeals are the complainant and the respondents herein are the accused before the learned XVII Metropolitan Magistrate, Saidapet, Chennai which was filed for an alleged offence punishable under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act (herein after called as N.I Act).

3. The following facts are necessary for the disposal of these Criminal Appeals.

4. According to the complainant company, it is engaged in money lending business for aspirants purchasers of Vehicles and Machineries under Hire Purchase Agreement and Lease Finance Scheme. The 1st accused company is involving in the business relating to cine field.

5. The accused Nos.2 and 3 respectively are the Managing Director and Director of the 1st accused Company. According to the complainant company, a Hire Purchase agreement came to be entered into between itself as Vendor and the accused company as purchaser. The accused company had taken delivery of machineries worth about Rs.1,43,93,180/- from the complainant and the said amount should be paid in 60 monthly installment by the accused company. Towards an installment of the said loan amount the accused company issued various Cheques mentioned in the tabular column and all of them are drawn at M/s. Union Bank of India and State Bank of India, T. Nagar Branch for a sum Rupees also mentioned in the said tabular column.

6. The complainant/appellant consequently presented the cheques for encashment, however all of them were returned with an endorsement that Refer to Drawer. Thereupon statutory legal notice