JUDGMENT :

HARSH BUNGER, J.

1. Petitioner (Chanpreet Singh) has filed the present petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for setting aside/quashing of order dated 20.02.2024 (Annexure P-3) passed by learned Judicial Magistrate Ist Class, Sangrur in complaint bearing No. NACT/821/2019 (Annexure P-1), filed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, vide which petitioner has been declared as a proclaimed person.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in the aforesaid complaint (Annexure P-1), the petitioner was granted bail vide order dated 19.09.2023 and thereafter, he was regularly appearing before the trial Court; however on account of oversight and communication gap between petitioner and his counsel appearing before the trial Court; petitioner could not appear before trial Court on 05.12.2023, 21.12.2023 and 10.01.2024. It is submitted that on 10.01.2024, bail of petitioner was cancelled, his bail bonds were forfeited to the State and proclamation was ordered to be issued against him. It is further submitted that on 20.01.2024, petitioner was declared as a proclaimed person.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner inter alia contends that th