IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision:03.02.2026 Gaurav Kumar ...Applicant Versus Darshan Singh ...Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE MANISHA BATRA Present:- Ms. Saksham Sharma, Advocate for Mr. Sushil Bhardwaj, Advocate for the applicant.

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M ANISHA BATRA, J. (Oral)

1. The instant application has been filed by the applicant under Section 378(4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for short ‘Cr.P.C.’) seeking grant of leave to file appeal against the judgment of acquittal dated 20.10.2018, passed by the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Karnal in Criminal Complaint bearing No.2075 of 2018 titled as 'Gaurav Kumar Vs. Darshan Singh' filed under Sections 138 and 142 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, whereby respondent/accused had been acquitted for commission of aforementioned offence.

2. Today, learned counsel for the applicant, while relying upon a recent pronouncement of Hon’ble Supreme Court in M/s. Celestium Financial vs. A. Gnanasekaran Etc., 2025(3) RCR (Criminal) 208, has submitted that by directing the present application as an appeal, filed under Sections 372 of Cr.P.C. (which is pari materia with Section 413 of Bharatiya N