Offences to be compoundable
Full Text
Offences to be compoundable.—Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), every offence punishable under this Act shall be compoundable.
Plain English Summary
Declares all offences under the Negotiable Instruments Act to be compoundable at any stage of proceedings without requiring leave of court, overriding standard CrPC compounding restrictions.
Key Legal Elements
- Non-obstante clause overriding Section 320 CrPC / Section 359 BNSS
- Every offence under Negotiable Instruments Act is compoundable
- Permissible at any stage: Trial Court, Sessions Court, High Court, or Supreme Court
- Results in complete acquittal of the accused
Practical Note
1. COMPOUNDING AT ANY STAGE (Even Post-Conviction): • Non-obstante Clause: Overrides Section 320 CrPC / Section 359 BNSS restrictions. Compounding is permissible at trial, in criminal appeal before the Sessions Court, in revision before the High Court, and even before the Supreme Court under Article 136 (K.M. Ibrahim v. K.P. Mohammed, (2010) 1 SCC 798). • Effect: Compounding under Section 147 leads to immediate acquittal and quashes conviction and sentence. 2. GRADED COMPOUNDING COSTS (Damodar S. Prabhu Guidelines): • In Damodar S. Prabhu v. Sayed Babalal H., (2010) 5 SCC 663, the Supreme Court laid down graded compounding costs payable to DLSA to encourage early settlements: (a) At Trial Court (before framing notice/evidence): No cost. (b) In Appeal before Sessions Court: 15% of cheque amount. (c) In Revision before High Court / Supreme Court: 20% of cheque amount. • Exception: Costs can be scaled down or waived in extreme poverty or genuine hardship (MP State Legal Services Authority v. Prateek Jain, (2014) 10 SCC 690). 3. MUTUAL CONSENT REQUIRED: • Compounding fundamentally requires mutual consent. An accused cannot force compounding upon an unwilling complainant simply by tendering the cheque amount (J.I.K. Industries Ltd. v. Amarlal V. Jumani, (2012) 3 SCC 255).
हिंदी पाठ
अपराधों का शमनीय होना।—दंड प्रक्रिया संहिता, 1973 (1974 का 2) में किसी बात के होते हुए भी, इस अधिनियम के अधीन दंडनीय प्रत्येक अपराध शमनीय होगा।