IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision: 16.04.2026 Balbir Singh ....Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and another ....Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMAN CHAUDHARY *****

Present : Mr. Manoj K. Sharma, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Ravneet Singh Lekhi, AAG, Punjab.

Mr. Ritesh Kumar Sharma, Advocate for respondent No.2.

AMAN CHAUDHARY, J. (ORAL)

1. The challenge in the present criminal revision is to the order dated 23.08.2017 passed by learned Additional Sessions Judge, Jalandhar, dismissing the appeal preferred against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 22.01.2015 passed by learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Jalandhar, vide which the petitioner was convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881 (for short, ‘the Act’) and to pay fine of Rs.5,000/-

2. The facts relevant as narrated in the complaint filed under Section 138 of the NI Act by complainant-respondent No.2 are that in lieu of allurement of accused-petitioner, he had invested a sum of Rs.15 lakhs in joint venture of properties, thereafter, on a complaint made by him, the accused-petitio