Validation for transfer of pending cases
Full Text
Validation for transfer of pending cases.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) or any judgment, decree, order or direction of any court, all cases transferred to the court having jurisdiction under sub-section (2) of section 142, as amended by the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 (Ord. 6 of 2015), shall be deemed to have been transferred under this Act, as if that sub-section had been in force at all material times.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2) of section 142 or sub-section (1), where the payee or the holder in due course, as the case may be, has filed a complaint against the drawer of a cheque in the court having jurisdiction under sub-section (2) of section 142 or the case has been transferred to that court under sub-section (1) and such complaint is pending in that court, all subsequent complaints arising out of section 138 against the same drawer shall be filed before the same court irrespective of whether those cheques were delivered for collection or presented for payment within the territorial jurisdiction of that court.
(3) If, on the date of the commencement of the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Act, 2015 (26 of 2015), more than one prosecution filed by the same payee or holder in due course, as the case may be, against the same drawer of cheques is pending before different courts, upon the said fact having been brought to the notice of the court, such court shall transfer the case to the court having jurisdiction under sub-section (2) of section 142, as amended by the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 (Ord. 6 of 2015), before which the first case was filed and is pending, as if that sub-section had been in force at all material times.
Plain English Summary
Validates the retrospective transfer of Section 138 cases pursuant to the 2015 amendment and mandates consolidation of all subsequent complaints against the same drawer in the same court.
Key Legal Elements
- Validates retrospective transfer of cases under 2015 amendment
- Mandates consolidation of all subsequent Section 138 complaints against same drawer in same court
- Consolidation rule applies regardless of where subsequent cheques were deposited
- Prevents multiplicity of proceedings between same parties
Practical Note
1. CONSOLIDATION OF MULTIPLE CHEQUE DISPUTES (Section 142A(2)): • When a debtor issues multiple cheques and the first complaint is pending before a particular Magistrate, Section 142A(2) mandates that ALL subsequent complaints by the same payee against that drawer MUST be filed in that very same court. • Overrides Local Collection Boundaries: Even if subsequent cheques were deposited in different bank branches located in another district or city, Section 142A(2) overrides territorial limits to ensure clubbing before one single Magistrate (Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd. v. Inderpal Singh, (2016) 2 SCC 341). 2. LITIGATION BENEFITS: • Complainant avoids traveling to multiple courts for multiple bounced cheques of the same debtor. • Accused avoids duplicate bail bond requirements across multiple courts and prevents conflicting judgments.
हिंदी पाठ
लंबित मामलों के अंतरण के लिए विधिमान्यकरण।—(1) दंड प्रक्रिया संहिता, 1973 (1974 का 2) में या किसी न्यायालय के किसी निर्णय, डिक्री, आदेश या निदेश में किसी बात के होते हुए भी, परक्राम्य लिखत (संशोधन) अध्यादेश, 2015 द्वारा यथासंशोधित धारा 142 की उपधारा (2) के अधीन अधिकारिता रखने वाले न्यायालय को अंतरित किए गए सभी मामले इस अधिनियम के अधीन इस प्रकार अंतरित समझे जाएंगे मानो वह उपधारा सभी तात्त्विक समयों पर प्रवृत्त रही थी।
(2) धारा 142 की उपधारा (2) या उपधारा (1) में किसी बात के होते हुए भी, जहां आदाता या सम्यक्-अनुक्रम-धारक ने धारा 142 की उपधारा (2) के अधीन अधिकारिता रखने वाले न्यायालय में चेक के आहर्ता के विरुद्ध कोई परिवाद दाखिल किया है या मामला उपधारा (1) के अधीन उस न्यायालय को अंतरित किया गया है और ऐसा परिवाद उस न्यायालय में लंबित है, वहां उसी आहर्ता के विरुद्ध धारा 138 से उत्पन्न होने वाले सभी पश्चात्वर्ती परिवाद उसी न्यायालय के समक्ष दाखिल किए जाएंगे, भले ही वे चेक उस न्यायालय की स्थानीय अधिकारिता के भीतर संग्रहण के लिए दिए गए हों या संदाय के लिए प्रस्तुत किए गए हों अथवा नहीं।
(3) यदि परक्राम्य लिखत (संशोधन) अधिनियम, 2015 के प्रारंभ की तारीख को उसी आदाता या सम्यक्-अनुक्रम-धारक द्वारा एक ही आहर्ता के विरुद्ध किए गए एक से अधिक अभियोजन विभिन्न न्यायालयों के समक्ष लंबित हैं, तो उक्त तथ्य न्यायालय की जानकारी में लाए जाने पर, वह न्यायालय मामले को उस न्यायालय को अंतरित कर देगा जिसके समक्ष पहला मामला दाखिल किया गया था और लंबित है।