Gujarat High Court
Shree Sai Enterprise Through Prop. ... vs State Of Gujarat on 14 October, 2025
Author: Nirzar S. Desai
Bench: Nirzar S. Desai
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/19219/2025 ORDER DATED: 14/10/2025
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR QUASHING & SET ASIDE
FIR/ORDER) NO. 19219 of 2025
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SHREE SAI ENTERPRISE THROUGH PROP. SUBHASH CHAND
SHARMA
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT & ANR.
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Appearance:
MR GOPAL S SUTHAR(11142) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MS DIPALI N PATEL(12475) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MR ADITYA JADEJA ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR for the
Respondent(s) No. 1
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CORAM:HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE NIRZAR S. DESAI
Date : 14/10/2025
ORAL ORDER
1. By way of the present petition, the petitioner seeks to convert non-bailable warrant issued by learned 10th Additional Judicial Magistrate First Class, Ahmedabad (Rural), in Criminal Case No. 18012 of 2024 dated 09.05.2025, into bailable warrant.
2. The facts of the case are such that the complaint was filed by the complainant under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (`NI' Act for short) for the dishonour of cheque issued by the petitioner.
Page 1 of 5 Uploaded by PALLAVI PRABHUDAS PANCHAL(HC01403) on Wed Oct 15 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Oct 16 01:25:46 IST 2025NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/19219/2025 ORDER DATED: 14/10/2025 undefined 2.1 The said case proceeded further and after the trial, the learned trial Court passed the impugned order convicting the petitioner and non- bailable warrant was issued against the petitioner at the time of passing of the impugned order, which is prayed to be converted into bailable warrant by filing this petition.
3. Heard learned advocate for the petitioner and Learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent - State.
4. Learned advocate for the petitioner submitted that the issuance of non-bailable warrant straightaway at the time of passing the order of conviction is illegal and against provision of law and the learned trial Court ought to have issued bailable warrant to secure the presence of the petitioner. He submitted that the right of preferring appeal against the order is a statutory right available to the petitioner, however, as the non-bailable warrant is issued against the petitioner, the petitioner is left with no option, but to surrender himself to the jail authority pursuant to the non-bailable warrant issued by the trial court and that would amount to gross violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Learned advocate for the petitioner prayed that the non- bailable warrant issued by the learned trial Court be converted into bailable warrant so that the Page 2 of 5 Uploaded by PALLAVI PRABHUDAS PANCHAL(HC01403) on Wed Oct 15 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Oct 16 01:25:46 IST 2025 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/19219/2025 ORDER DATED: 14/10/2025 undefined petitioner can avail appropriate remedy to file appeal before the higher forum.
4.1 In support of his contentions, learned advocate for the petitioner has heavily relied on the decision of the Coordinate Bench of this Court rendered in Special Criminal Application (Quashing) No.9113 of 2016 decided on 22nd February, 2017 and prayed to allow the petition.
4.2. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor has vehemently opposed the prayer of the petitioner and requested this Court to dismiss the present petition.
5. I have heard the learned counsel appearing for the respective parties and gone through the material produced on record in detail. No other and/or further submissions have been made, except what are stated herein-above.
6. At the outset, it is required to be noted that the issue involved in this petition is no more res integra and squarely covered by the decision of the Coordinate Bench of this Court rendered in Special Criminal Application (Quashing) No.9113 of 2016, as referred to above, in somewhat similar set of facts. The Coordinate Bench of this Court has, after considering the decision rendered by the Division Bench in the case of Sharad Jethalal Savla v. State of Gujarat [Criminal Misc. Application Page 3 of 5 Uploaded by PALLAVI PRABHUDAS PANCHAL(HC01403) on Wed Oct 15 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Oct 16 01:25:46 IST 2025 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/19219/2025 ORDER DATED: 14/10/2025 undefined No.19862 of 2015 decided on 14th November, 2016] held as under:
"7. I am inclined to give one opportunity to the applicants herein to appear before the learned 4th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Vadodara in person with their advocates. On the day and date the applicants herein appear before the learned Magistrate, it will be open for them to file an application under Section 389(3) of the Cr.P.C. for provisional bail to enable them to prefer a criminal appeal before the Sessions Court against the conviction and sentence. The criminal appeal before the Sessions Court could have been registered only after an appropriate order under Section 389(3) of the Cr.P.C. was passed by the trial Court.
8. In any view of the matter, the nonbailable warrant is converted into a bailable warrant of the sum of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only). The applicants are directed to appear before the Court concerned within a period of one week from today and shall furnish a bail of Rs.10,000/- each. If any such application is filed under Section 389(3) of the Cr.P.C., the Court concerned shall pass appropriate orders in accordance with law."
7. In view of the aforesaid, this Court is inclined to consider this petition on the following conditions:
(a) The petitioner shall approach the learned trial Court in person with his advocate within a period of two weeks from Page 4 of 5 Uploaded by PALLAVI PRABHUDAS PANCHAL(HC01403) on Wed Oct 15 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Oct 16 01:25:46 IST 2025 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/19219/2025 ORDER DATED: 14/10/2025 undefined the date of receipt of writ of this order;
(b) The petitioner shall deposit cost of Rs.5,000/- before the Gujarat High Court Advocates Law Library within a period of one week and also deposit 20% of the cheque amount before the learned trial Court at the time he appears before the learned trial Court.
(c) It will be open for the petitioner to avail appropriate remedy available under the law at the time of appearing before the learned trial Court to enable him to approach the higher forum against the impugned order and if such remedy is availed, the concerned court shall pass appropriate order in accordance with law.
(d) The non-bailable warrant is hereby converted into bailable warrant for a sum Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only).
8. In view of the aforesaid observations and directions, the present petition stands disposed of. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. Direct service is permitted.
(NIRZAR S. DESAI,J) Pallavi Page 5 of 5 Uploaded by PALLAVI PRABHUDAS PANCHAL(HC01403) on Wed Oct 15 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Oct 16 01:25:46 IST 2025