Jamuna Pd. Bunker vs Sanjay Kumar

J.P. Gupta, J.—Heard.

The petitioner in this petition under Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. has challenged the order dated 24.6.2016 passed in criminal revision no. 900017/2016 by the learned Sessions Judge, Panna arising out of the order dated 6.1.2016 passed in Criminal Case No. 1326/2016 by the learned JMFC, Panna, whereby the prayer of the applicant regarding dismissal of the complaint filed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act was rejected.

The objection of the applicant is that in the complaint of the respondent filed under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, it is stated that the concerned cheque was returned by the Bank on the ground that on the cheque, signature of the drawer is incomplete, faint and different. Therefore, no case of dishonour of cheque on the ground of insufficient fund in the account of the applicant is made out. Hence, the complaint be dismissed.

On perusal of the impugned order it is found that the learned revisional court has confirmed the order of the learned Magistrate on the basis of the law laid down by the Apex court in the case of Laxmi Dye-chem v. State of Gujarat and others, (2012) 13 SCC 375, in which it has been laid down in relevant para 16, 16.1 and 16.2 which are quoted herein below as under :-

"The above line of decisions leaves no room for holding that the two contingencies envisaged under Section 138 of the Act must be interpreted strictly or literally. We find ourselves in respectful agreement with the decision in NEPC Micon Ltd. (supra) that the expression "amount of money" is insufficient appearing in Section 138 of the Act is a genus and dishonour for reasons such "as account closed", "payment stopped", "referred to the drawer" are only species of that genus. Just as dishonour of a cheque on the ground that the account has been closed is a dishonour falling in the first contingency referred to in Section 138, so also dishonour on the ground that the "signatures do not match" or that the "image is not found", which too implies that the specimen signatures do not match the signatures on the cheque would constitute a dishonour within the meaning of Section 138 of the Act

16.1. This Court has in the decisions referred to above taken note of situations and contingencies arising out of deliberate acts of omission or commission on the part of the drawers of the cheques which would inevitably result in the dishonour of the cheque issued by them. For instance this Court has held that if after issue of the cheque the drawer closes the account it must be presumed that the amount in the account was nil hence insufficient to meet the demand of the cheque. A similar result can be brought about by the drawer changing his specimen signature given to the bank or in the case of a company by the company changing the mandate of those authorised to sign the cheques on its behalf. Such changes or alteration in the mandate may be dishonest or fraudulent and that would inevitably result in dishonour of all cheques signed by the previously authorised signatories. There is in our view no qualitative difference between a situation where the dishonour takes place on account of the substitution by a new set of authorised signatories resulting in the dishonour of the cheques already issued and another situation in which the drawer of the cheque changes his own signatures or closes the account or issues instructions to the bank not to make the payment. So long as the change is brought about with a view to preventing the cheque being honoured the dishonour would become an offence under Section 138 subject to other conditions prescribed being satisfied.

16.2. There may indeed be situations where a mismatch between the signatories on the cheque drawn by the drawer and the specimen available with the bank may result in dishonour of the cheque even when the drawer never intended to invite such a dishonour. We are also conscious of the fact that an authorised signatory may in the ordinary course of business be replaced by a new signatory ending the earlier mandate to the bank. Dishonour on account of such changes that may occur in the course of ordinary business of a company, partnership or an individual may not constitute an offence by itself because such a dishonour in order to qualify for prosecution under Section 138 shall have to be preceded by a statutory notice where the drawer is called upon and has the opportunity to arrange the payment of the amount covered by the cheque. It is only when the drawer despite receipt of such a notice and despite the opportunity to make the payment within the time stipulated under the statute does not pay the amount that the dishonour would be considered a dishonour constituting an offence, hence punishable. Even in such cases, the question whether or not there was a lawfully recoverable debt or liability for discharge whereof the cheque was issued would be a matter that the trial Court will examine having regard to the evidence adduced before it and keeping in view the statutory presumption that unless rebutted the cheque is presumed to have been issued for a valid consideration."

In the aforesaid background of the law pronounced by the Apex court on the subject, the order of the learned courts below is in accordance with law and no illegality has been committed as the dishonour of cheque on the ground of incomplete, faint and different signature of the drawer on the cheque also amounts to dishonour of the cheque on the ground of insufficient fund in the account of drawer.

In view of above, this is not a case in which discretionary power vested under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. is required to be exercised. Hence, the petition is devoid of merits and is hereby dismissed.