Karnataka High Court
Sri Shivappa Reddy vs Sri C K Jagannath on 15 July, 2010
Equivalent citations: AIR 2010 (NOC) 1070 (KAR.), 2011 ACD 717 (KAR) 2010 (4) AIR KAR R 254, 2010 (4) AIR KAR R 254, 2010 CRI. L. J. 4759, 2011 ACD 717 (KAR), 2010 (4) AIR KANT HCR 254, (2010) 4 KCCR 2876, (2011) 2 KANT LJ 79, 2011 ALLMR(CRI) 100, (2011) 3 BANKCAS 125, (2011) 1 NIJ 540, (2011) 1 CIVLJ 763, 2012 (1) CRIMES 152 SN
'THE C0i§R'!' QEXEVERE9 THE FOLLOVIRG:
in THE HIGH com? or mmwm AT
DATED ms was 15" mm 05 JULY 2o1e,....._ '_»
BEFORE
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cnznmm. APPEAL fio.11aA§.__¢'t".V iG£3"§ . 2 "
an-wzan V L' V A' V
sax Si-IIVRPPA REDDY,
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man 3306'!' as mans,
RM mam CflN3¥JAPURA, V V' _
ATTIBELE Hosu, AHfi;_¥mL:'TAh{5-?j€_. 1
aaxsawas nzsmxtm.' g ---."'».,...._;.APPELLANT
(av sax H.9.1Lss_s:a.mma
AND
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S/D LATE l§RISHN.Ps?'PA;~ _ 4 V
AGED ABOUT 31 mans, V
RIA I-131:3" C!{PuNDa'-'JUNK, V
M1': nan: Heshx, ;a.*si!:mL 'm.ux,
"IlI£.'.l«"RIC'l'.
. . RESPONDENT
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Eiaznminsf AFPEAL 13 $11.53 mange. smcwxcn {1)(4~) '=:;a.9.c: PRAYING 1'0 saw A3192: wzs aunmmrr ANDA. ,__aRD"ER or AGQUITTAL %Mc..c.um.4a2/zeas on .
1:. .1,' tag. me.) _--___'RESl?Oi\iI3mfl'{A€:CUSED area was crrmzx riuis 133 on- T rea.x..;A.c1'.
DATED 10!?/2067 IN THE FILE or 'PI-IE ABEL.
MID mm A1' Armm. ACQUITTING 'ms TRIS I-WEBB!» CQQIXQ OR FOR» HEARING '%'HIS DAY, M " x \:Mm:wrs«'-"JP auaéum we appellant has challenged the acquitta2:--.._a£ the mspandnnt far the charge under section the Negotiable Instruments Act I "
referred ta: as the 'Act' far shertzéqn ' by the zmzrc, Anakal. « _ ._ é _ _
2. The xscts relwant.'T3f-3;: tiie_ appeal are as unaer: V math tho: partiasziffire of H tiA:VVo same village and are knewn ftvgq' :'¢>thaT:i'.~A§.i1_';VT?xe appellant who is tP§'§'VV"I';é.;ia1 court submitted a Camplfiinfi .,.~the accused borrowed a hand logn 2l}.V_,"€3£!ufJ/- agreeing to repay the :_.4~"ez1:;§un?.; 3<. i:;i::..'.¢_e« months and as mach, the AVC9ag§i2iVnaf;t~p§id__tha amount at Rs.1,2B,O00/- in the V 20% and on the very same day, 'vtha £er.:.u£§:og<i"".V'ia:uac! a cheque bearing )io.07825§- an canaxa Bank, chandapur Branch, 4'_'z?q§¢A&§a1~AA"Ta1uk dated 2.12.2903 tcmurds repayment or _4i:h.a~ loan advanced. Accordingly, the camplainant VAA""3V>V.raaantad the chaqua to: ancaarunent on 2.3.2.2693 and it returxmd with an cndorsamnt of 'insufficient funds'. The accused on anqtzirx :§<x
-u 'K requested to rea-present the cheque and accordiunfihaiy. it was again prasentecs on 4.3.2084 and' returned with the same andarsamaxgp :"~._:1r.iV'_.:.:
circumstancw, the Cozwlainanji §.As':.u§d notiau dated 12.3.2004 c:a1J.:J.1_1g a;129fi'.._z?.ha » afi.:g:fxzat3ci pay the amount and the said 'itfiica £m5 nfit with, though served. é.£*.i:.*.u. i_:'--¢i'xt;;u:a§f.a'::<:a:;, tha Complainant nppr::ached"4"1;.§:£ for action under: sactian 'V Viihed; Instruments Act .
3. 'mg:paaé£~§:i'V'V4and his plea was recorda\--._Ti1e examined as P.h'.1 and in his_ av:§.xda1A1c:e ts P5 were marked. The th§""'a::t:u:aed was reccrdad under section has taken tha aerance or tatal defiifi...'aiida"."s;x§§¥n5..ixed A witness n.w.1 and got: marked Ext.Di". .'1'Vi1.e"'".1;'ria1 Court after hearing the Counsel .3:-;thV"'i;he partiaa and en appraciation 0! the _m_:a't§5ria'é1 on record, mquitted the amused and ':'_ a§g--x;iaved by the order at acquittal, this appeal A has been prazazzrnd.
4
4. I have heard the learnad Counsel for the_ appellant and else the raapandent.
5. The point: that exists :0: my connj;d§§§_$$g:6h_.:'4 in this appeal is: _ __ x V Vhathar the ju{§§$§n-t{_V order acquitting thii "*:fa:£s;§€:'nd§n'_t ' .. V for the charge und§'::.._V sec2:i:.i6nV 1733' of the Hegatiabla IiSa1iruman£e._ kc:-'2:
is legal and 1rae1.id?«..V""' - _
6. It is tha ccntafiinig , t':h_sa._ lsaxnod Conn:-nl far the €--.'VI'v!£¢V.}'l.1e axt.P1 has been issued ft-.he agéi.{$§&'--~.§;'n.»~"his individual capacity and these isL4"'aw_j;ra$--u1®ti'6n under section 139 of the fact: _ has} "issued the said cheque wwards debt and as the accused did not ::oa;51.3.é"' t:!1Va' notice after return at the cheque 'fig: inuezstgffiéixant funds, be submit: that the accused fizz: AA cuagmifitud an offence under Section 138 or the:
the Trial court has: comittcd an error in T --4'..§fr':1jitin§ an czder at aoqtzittn.
'1. Fe}: contra, the learned Counsel £9: the respondunt submit: that the cheque Ext.P1 does not gm-rtain ta the accaunt or the accused and in this 9:"
regard, he has examined D.W.1 win: is President of the Chandapur Milk _ --
Cooperative Saciety and that the a{:;;3:i:e;§:.fd' Secretary of the said Society;
been issued by the ac¢useti'.__ :
capacity and as the acc€:;ut£t'*~._;i.s .th_é thteit Society, the provisiqns ;pf~ui..S"_.@¢t:§,Ae;>n 'i3*8~..o.-fig the Act are not attracted afidttbétikgaitfiétrt was 3ustified in granting an*oxder bf é¢gt;£:ai;_T¥t
9. As ¢§ni&"§e s§a§*£§a& the cheque at Ext.P1, thare t1ié'":;;i§eque that it pertains to that'-. ai:é:oVz:,zVf1:;':V:'V'~;;;,:€A Vtizgf' Producers Cooperative Society. Bgt afiyficw; it is an aditted fact that the figliéqze h}§_sv--..1;een, issued by the accused. who was i :he_.L"5e§i:xQeta,&y of the said Cooperative Society, But $3 iiseézi from the aignature on the cheque, there; ii néithing to show that the cheque has been "'--_'VVis:sueci. -.:§..:':: his capacity as the Secretary 0f the jV.'E3;o'a,~pe_f§:ative Society to establish that the acaount bgézring No.121£>'?' pertaina to the Milk Prcaciucers 4:fCc>opera.t:i.tre Society. The accused has examined D.W.1 wha was. the Ex-?res;i.d.ent of the said Society for the pariad from 2901 to ZCIG5. At that time, the (>4.
accused was 315:: the secretary cf the said somtsty and a.w.1 states that the Bank account N°¢fl:2"1H:ofi..":j,g:~$"., or the Milk Fradmtrs caopaxativa satiety: "
churque issued by that Suciety imtttn'hat.$§;§h§¢1'.V'b§th"'v.V by the President and the 3ecreta,ry;'_'_'&~fid not hear his signature. is th§j3r.~'$::k% pertaining to accmint I~io.1.'$.'1_.§'§'-.,:a_:::-.g:_Vl thd ~ fiat thi haldar of the account V ;Vj_?f:6du::.-gafrg Coogarativa society, chandapu; and_it,: i.s 'Lnama or the flCGL'l$¢d .
9. so§:ié'tjf is an indepandant persan atfd, the' issuad the cheque or the Cooperative xfibciaty peraonal capacity and :_.«""i"~i._VI_!<-°t¢¢t._i:L_'}'«:. t!fc"'«..:u_I.:r:a to the Complainant. The ;a»~;::<1§:.fntVi§"'ntt:""$.._n his name. see: in the abaanca or an V acrgauttt' name of the accused, in his 'V$;ndivi';&21za1:AV.¢ai£>acity, any chaque cf the: Caapexative éaianat be said to be the cheque or the K pertaining to his account in the Bank. In :'_t.%~.i.s% context, if the pravisions of section "138 cf Act an xoakad into, whiu::h reads:
"139 .
for insufficiency etc. , nishorxaur oi cheque cf funds in the account,---wham any chaqua drawn 9: a ggrson an an account _ __ _V gggggggneu by' him wgth a bankagf"*'_ _ for payment at any amount at % ta another gexson Ignaz §_u_§..91' " . account for the dia:z;ha.:-gaf; ' 'V whaln or in part 2i:yA dabt " "
other liability, 'i§*,;etdrneu_ uy*{"
the bank unpaid, nit;_§§zt:_i:gcau.$'a«--.:§;.f V the amount cf"-mon;§y:_ tti H the credit of $ 'thhtf' is insuifi ci-ant 3:6 " -h§n¢t:;f<, _ fink .V giiséqua or tsa£§,ip *gx¢eéa§' tfie~ amount axran§éa *£¢_ mg fpaid"{£rom that _ ';an ' 'd§£BG2if§fifi made with Vthat' 1':::iVr':'3'-S,-». "aa.§£%2;_ "":s§raon shall be déam§a '-t§*W h§v§"' ccmmittad an '_Q££efiG§V'-7ahd "" shall, without any ether psrcviaion V tn:Ls Act, be punished with for a tam which may exét'§j:rja_e91.'T:'to two years or with fine, w'§.i..¢ii'V may axtend to twice the ..a:::€:unt of tha chaquo, or with '"=5notn."
A (Tha undarline is mine) VT so 3 peruse}. or Section 138 at the Act '2;-'iivcaals that than cheque must mt drawn by than V' accused an an accmunt maintained by hian with the:/W banker and here in the can on hand, the accused has dramfia. the chequa which was not in 1115 name but was in the mama of Milk Prwucars cooparativa society. Tharefore, the provisions of Sectgieéii <2: the Act are not fulfilled and this 'T$ia:3".'_"' "
considerad by tha Trial coux-t_.~whi'le kn crater at acquittal. Though "!:Aha1j_*.f*a~'lV in against the accused for tI:é_'«g.f£a'hc§' und§£V{._S«a,s;t§Lan% 420 IPC, there is na a11egati:§n.::inV_» thé"<.i¢§fl§1:iint in this £'G§lrd so as t:§---..._..¢a;;:iV_'ci$al£e..jléfiagtfenae under Section 420 12c. In tnatfvieg gr the matter, I am at the -'Trial court has not cmamittad llanjr. granting an order of acqllittgillfloiicz-z4AAV'I'1ar$£aw;.r: the point in affirmative :"j.V;:.ri'<i pfeéeéti €e.A_pa:sV%£'iie following turner:
._ 'T'_!__1;nlA dismissed.
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