(A) Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, Secs. 138, 141 — Legal position concerning — Principles — Consideration of — "(i) The primary responsibility is on the complainant to make specific averment as are required under the law in the complaint so as to make the accused vicariously liable. For fastening the criminal liability, there is no presumption that every Director knows about the transaction — (ii) Section 141 does not make all the Directors liable for the offence. The criminal liability can be fastened only on those who, at the time of the commission of the offence, were in charge of and were responsible for the conduct of the business of the company — (iii) Vicarious liability can be inferred against a company registered or incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 only if the requisite statements, which are required to be averred in the complaint/petition, are made so as to make the accused therein vicariously liable for offence committed by the company along with averments in the petition containing that the accused were in charge of and responsible for the business of the company and by virtue of their position they are liable to be proceeded with — (iv) Vicarious liability on the part of a person must be pleaded and proved and not inferred — (v) If the accused is a Managing Director or a Joint Managing Director then it is not necessary to make specific averment in the complaint and by virtue of their position they are liable to be proceeded with — (vi) If the accused is a Director or an officer of a company who signed the cheques on behalf of the company then also it is not necessary to make specific averment in the complaint — (vii) The person sought to be made liable should be in charge of and responsible for the conduct of the business of the company at the relevant time. This has to be averred as a fact as there is no deemed liability of a Director in such cases. (Para 14)

       (B) Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, Secs. 138, 141(1) — Offence committed by company — Vicarious liability for — A director who had resigned and whose resignation had been accepted and who had ceased to have anything with the affairs of the company before the offence had been committed — Could not be held vicariously liable for the offence committed by the company after he had ceased to be a director of the company. (Paras 15 to 18)

       (C) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, Secs. 397, 401, 482 — Scope of Power of High Court under Sec. 482 and that of revisional Court in revision under fairly settled that while exercising inherent jurisdiction u/S 482 or revisional jurisdiction u/S 397 of the Criminal Code in a case where complaint is sought to be quashed, it is not proper for the High Court to consider the defence of the accused or embark upon an enquiry in respect of merits of the accusations — However, in an appropriate case, if on the face of the documents – which are beyond suspicion or doubt – placed by accused, the accusations against him cannot stand, it would be travesty of justice if accused is relegated to trial and he is asked to prove his defence before the trial court — In such a matter, for promotion of justice or to prevent injustice or abuse of process — The High Court may look into the materials which have significant bearing on the matter at prima facie stage.

        (Paras 20, 21 & 22)

       ¼v½ ijkdE; fy[kr vf/kfu;e] 1881] /kkjk 138] 141 & ds vUrxZr dkuwuh fLFkfr ds lEcU/k esa LFkkfir fl)kUrksa dk fopkj.k & (i) izkjfEHkd mRrjnkf;Ro f'kdk;rdrkZ dk gS fd og f'kdk;rh nkos esa os vko';d rF; ntZ djs tks fd dkuwu esa visf{kr gSa rkfd vfHk;qDr dks vijkf/kd mRrjnkf;Ro ds okLrs mRrjnk;h ekuk tk lds & ,slh dksbZ dYiuk ugha dh tk ldrh fd izR;sd funs'kd O;ogkj ds ckjs esa tkurk gS * (ii) /kkjk 141 NIA vijk/k ds okLrs lHkh funs'kdksa dks mRrjnk;h ugha ekurk gS vijkfèkd nkf;Ro dsoy mu ij gh vk;n gksrk gS tks vijk/k dkfjr gksrs le; dEiuh ds O;olk; dks pykus ds mRrjnk;h Fks vkSj mlds izHkkjh Fks & (iii) ,d iathdr vFkok daiuht ,DV 1956 ds rgr xfBr dEiuh ds fo#) lh/kh ftEesnkjh ml n'kk esa ekuh tkrh gS ek= ;fn okafNr foojf.k;k¡ ftu dk lanHkZ f'kdk;rh nkos vFkok ;kfpdk esa fd;k x;k gS] bl izdkj rS;kj dh xbZ gS ftuls vfHk;qDr dh lh/kh@iw.kZ ftEesnkjh vijk/k dkfjr gksus esa yxrh gks vkSj lkFk gh lkFk ;kfpdk esa ,sls rF; fn;s x;s gksa fd vfHk;qDr dEiuh ds O;olk; dk izHkkjh Fkk vkSj mlds bl fLFkfr esa gksus dh otg ls ml ij dkuwuh dk;Zokgh dh tkuh visf{kr gS & (iv) lh/kk mRrjnkf;Ro ml O;fDr ij lk{; ds vk/kkj ij fl) gksuk pkfg, uk fd dYiuk ds vk/kkj ij & (v) ;fn vfHk;qDr izcU/k funs'kd gS vFkok la;qDr funs'kd rks nkos esa bl lEcU/k esa fooj.k fn;k tkuk vko';d gS vkSj mudh fLFkfr ds dkj.k dkuwuh dk;Zokgh fd;s tkus ds fy, os mRrjnk;h gSa & (vi) ;fn vfHk;qDr dEiuh dk funs'kd vFkok dksbZ vf/kdkjh gS ftlds }kjk dEiuh dh vksj ls pSdksa ij gLrk{kj fd;s x;s & rc ;g vko';d ugha gS fd f'kdk;rh nkos esa dksbZ n`<+ksfDr dh tk, & (7) ftl O;fDr dks mRrjnk;h Bgjk;k tk, og dEiuh ds O;olk; dk ml le; mRrjnk;h vkSj izHkkjh gksuk pkfg, & bl izdkj dh n`<+ksfDr nh tkuh pkfg, ih MCY;w fd ,sls ekeyksa esa fdlh funs'kd dh dkYifud ftEesnkjh ugha gksrhA ¼izLrj 14½

       ¼c½ ijkdE; fy[kr vf/kfu;e] 1881] /kkjk 138] 141¼1½ & dEiuh }kjk fd;k x;k vijk/k & vkSj ml ds okLrs lh/kk nkf;Ro & ,d funs'kd ftlus vijk/k dkfjr gksus ls iwoZ R;kxi= ns fn;k Fkk vkSj ftldk R;kxi= Lohdkj fd;k tk pqdk Fkk vkSj ftldk dEiuh ds O;olk; ls lEcU/k lekIr gks pqdk Fkk rks mls dEiuh }kjk dkfjr vijk/k ds okLrs lh/ks mRrjnk;h ugha Bgjk;k tk ldrk vkSj ftldk dEiuh ds O;olk; ls funs'kd ds :i es ukrk VwV pqdk FkkA ¼izLrj 15 ls 18½

       ¼l½ n.M izfd;k lafgrk] 1973] /kkjk 397] 401] 482 & /kkjk 482 lhvkj ih lh ds rgr mPp U;k;ky; ds vf/kdkjksa dk foLrkj vkSj iqujh{k.k esa iqujh{k.k U;k;ky; dk tks fd iw.kZr;k izfrikfnr gS fd tc ,slh ;kfpdk dks fujLr fd;s tkus gsrq /kkjk 482 lhvkj ih lh ds vUrxZr varfuZfgr vf/kdkjksa dk iz;ksx mPp U;k;ky; djs vFkok /kkjk 397 lhvkj ih lh ds rgr iqujh{k.k U;k;ky; djs rks vfHk;qDr ds cpko lk{; ij fopkj fd;k tkuk vFkok yxk;s x;s vkjksiksa ds lEcU/k esa dksbZ tkap cSBkuk mPp U;k;ky; ds okLrs mfpr ugha gS & rFkkfi nLrkostksa ds vk/kkj ij fdlh mi;qDr dsl esa] tks fd lansg ds ?ksjs ds ckgj gks] tks vfHk;qDr }kjk nk;j fd;s x;s gks fd ml ij yxk;s x;s vkjksi fVdkÅ ugha gS & rks ;g dkuwu dk etkd gksxk ;fn vfHk;qDr ij U;k;ky; esa fopkj.k gksus ls mls viekfur fd;k tk jgk gks vkSj mlls vius fy, lQkbZ nsus ds fy, dgk tk, & ,sls ekeyksa esa U;k; ds fgr esa vkSj vU;k; dks jksdus ds okLrs vkSj U;k;ky; ds nq#i;ksx gksus ls cpkus gsrq mPp U;k;ky; }kjk ml lk{; dk voyksdu dj ldrh gS ftl esa izR;{k n`"Vr;k egRoiw.kZ rF; miyC/k gksaA

        ¼izLrj 20] 21 ,oa 22½