Rajendra Rajput vs Anand Singh Aswal

Dharam Veer, J.—Heard learned Counsel for the petitioner and perused the material on record.

By means of this application, the applicant has prayed to quash the summoning order dated 10.02.2010 as well as the further proceedings of Case No. 3283 of 2010, Anand Singh v. Rajendra, pending in the court of A.C.J.M. IInd, Dehradun u/s 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (in short the Act).

As per the complaint, the petitioner gave a Cheque No. 129951 dated 30.6.08 for Rs. 15.00 lacs of Union Bank of India, Dehradun to the complainant/respondent in lieu of making good the amount of sale consideration regarding purchasing of a plot. When the said cheque was presented in the bank, it was dishonoured on 22.12.2008 with the endorsement by the bank "having insufficient funds". On 12.1.2009, the notice was sent by the complainant through his advocate, which was sufficiently served upon the petitioner. Even then the payment of cheque was not made to the compliant. Hence the complaint was filed on 24.2.2009. The complainant/respondent in support of his case filed his own affidavit while in the documentary evidence, he brought on record the original cheque, copy of notice, bank memo and the copy of registered receipt, before the trial court in support of his case. Considering the entire facts and circumstances of the case, the court below proceeded to summon the petitioner u/s 138 of the Act vide order dated 10.02.2010. Hence, this petition.

Learned Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the court below erred in summoning the petitioner. I do not find any force in this argument. In the present case, the cheque was issued on 30.6.2008 and it was deposited in the bank for payment and on 22.12.2008 it was dishonored with the endorsement having "insufficient funds". Thereafter, the notice was issued by the respondent through his advocate to the petitioner on 12.1.2009, which was also duly served upon the petitioner. However, even then the payment was not made to the respondent and ultimately on 24.2.2009, the complaint was filed by the complainant in the court. As such, the requirement of Section 138 has been made without their being any inordinate delay. Therefore, the offence punishable u/s 138 of the Act prima facie made out against the petitioner at this stage.

Even otherwise, the trial court will decide the case after recording the evidence of the complainant as well as of the accused and also on the basis of the appreciation of the evidence as per law. It is well settled that while exercising jurisdiction u/s 482 of the Cr.P.C., the High Court would not ordinarily embark upon the enquiry as to whether the evidence in question is reliable or not or whether on a reasonable appreciation of it accusation would not be sustained. That is the function of the trial court. If the allegations made in the complaint as well as the documentary evidence brought on record by the complainant, are taken at their face value and accepted in their entirety, I am of the view that the petitioner has rightly been summoned by the trial court. The trial court will decide the case after recording the evidence adduced before it. I am of the view that in `the present case there is neither any miscarriage of justice nor any abuse of process of court.

For the reasons recorded above, the application C482 is devoid of merit and is hereby dismissed in limine.