IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Smt. Anjuli Palo, J.
Ramasre Vishwakarma v. Aatmaram Diwakar
Criminal Revision No. 725 of 2022 (J); Decided on 20.4.2022*
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 -- Ss. 138 and 147 -- Criminal P.C. 1973 -- Ss. 357 (3) and 482 -- dishonour of cheque -- applicant convicted -- appeal dismissed -- criminal revision -- amicable settlement between parties -- applicant repaid entire amount of cheque to complainant -- required to deposit 15% of cheque amount as compounding fee -- compounding allowed subject to applicant’s depositing compounding fee before State Legal Services Authority -- applicant be treated to be acquitted -- revision allowed. (2010) 5 SCC 663 and (2014) 10 SCC 690 followed. [Paras 6 to 10]
ijØkE; fy[kr vfèkfu;e] 1881 & èkkjk 138 rFkk 147 & naM çfØ;k lafgrk] 1973 & èkkjk 357¼3½ rFkk 482 & pSd dk vuknj & vkosnd n¨"kfl) & vihy [kkfjt & nkafMd iqujh{k.k & i{kdkj¨a d¢ eè; l©gkæZiw.kZ le>©rk & vkosnd us pSd dh laiw.kZ jde çfroknh d¨ çfrlanRr dj nh & 'keu Qhl ds :i esa pSd dh jde dk 15 Áfr'kr fuf{kIr djuk visf{kr & vkosnd }kjk jkT; fofèkd lsok çkfèkdj.k d¢ le{k 'keu Qhl fu{ksi djus d¢ vè;èkhu 'keu eatwj & vkosnd n¨"keqDr ekuk tk, & iqujh{k.k eatwjA ¼2010½ 5 ,l lh lh 663 rFkk ¼2014½ 10 ,l lh lh 690 vuqlfjrA ¼iSjk 6 ls 10½
ORDER
1. In this criminal revision under section 397 read with section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procecure the applicant/accused has challenged the judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by the 4th Additional Sessions Judge, Bhopal in Criminal Appeal No.726/2018 on 30.7.2021 whereby he has affirmed the judgment of conviction passed by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Bhopal against the appilcant for offence under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and order of sentence to undergo R.I. for 6 months and to pay compensation of Rs.1,90,500/- under section 357(3) of Cr.P.C.
2. The facts in brief are that applicant/accused and respondent/complainant are familiar with each other. In April, 2015 the wife of applicant, namely, Smt.Radhika Vishwakarma requested respondent to grant loan of Rs.3,51,400/- to meet out her personal expenses. On the basis of familarity the complainant gave the aforesaid amount to wife of applicant/accused as loan. When the complainant made demand for repayment of loan amount, the applicant/accused gave cheque bearing No.363407 dated 6.11.2015 of Central Bank of India amounting to Rs.1,50,000/- with an assurance that if complainant lodges the said cheque, it will be honourned.
3. The respondent/complainant lodged the aforesaid cheque with his banker on 30.11.2015. However, the same was dishonoured on 1.12.2015 with an endorsement "Insufficient balance". Thereafter, the respondent/complaint sent notice dated 15.12.2015, but the applicant/accused neither repaid the loan amount nor gave reply to notice. Hence, the respondent/complainant filed complaint under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
4. The trial Court by its judgment dated 6.10.2018 held the applicant/accused guilty of offence under section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act and sentenced to undergo R.I. for 6 months and to pay compensation of Rs.1,90,500/- u/s 357(3) of Cr.P.C. and in default of amount of compensation to undergo further S.I. for 2 months.
5. Being aggrieved by the judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by trial Court the applicant preferred an appeal before the Fourth Additional Sessions Judge, Bhopal in Criminal Appeal No.726/2018. The lower appellate Court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment and sentence of the trial Court vide impugned judgment dated 30.7.2021.
6. The applicant being dissatisfied with the impugned judgment dated 30.7.2021 passed by the lower appellate Court preferred this instant appeal on various grounds mentioned therein. In the memo of revision it is mentioned that applicant is in jail since 6.2.2022. During pendency of this criminal revision on 9.3.2022 a joint application has been filed by learned counsel for the parties under section 147 of the Negotiable Instruments Act read with section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which has been registered as I.A.No.4505/2022. This interlocutory appilcation is supported by affidavit of Ajay Vishwakarma who is son of applicant as also the affidavit of complainant. It is averred in the application that during pendency of criminal appeal before the lower appellate Court the applicant had deposited Rs.50,125/- vide Document-A/1 and balance amount of Rs.150,500/- has been paid by the son of the applicant to the complainant on 5.3.2022 and acknowledgement receipt has been brought on record as Document-A 2.
7. On 10.3.2022 the learned counsel for the parties have made joint submission before this Court that parties have amicably entered into compromise and, therefore, they were directed to personally appear before the Registrar (Judicial-II) for verification of their compromise. In compliance of order of this Court though the applicant/revisionist did appear in person as he was in jail, however, his counsel Shri Arpan Shrivastava appeared before the Registrar Judicial-II for verification of their compromise. The complainant who has been identified by his counsel Shri Kapil Patwardhan appeared in person before the
The main legal point established in the judgment is the allowance of compounding of the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, based on the amicable settlement between the parti....
Compounding of the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act led to the acquittal of the accused.
The main legal point established is that the compounding of the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act can be allowed based on a mutual compromise between the parties, leading to....
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