Issue Summons by E-mail as well in 138 Cases; SC issues Guidelines for Speedy and Expeditious Trial of Cheque Bouncing Cases[Read the Judgment]

Supreme Court in a Landmark Judgment delivered last week has issued guidelines for speedy disposal of cases under Section 138, Negotiable Instruments Act.

A two Judge Bench comprising of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Vikramajit Sen was dealing with a Writ Petition filed by the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and Punjab National Bank under of India seeking appropriate guidelines for the speedy disposal of cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

Bench disposed of the petition directing all the Criminal Courts in the country dealing with Section 138 cases to follow the procedures for speedy and expeditious disposal of cases falling under Section 138.

Guidelines are as follows,

1. Metropolitan Magistrate/Judicial Magistrate (MM/JM), on the day when the complaint under Section 138 of the Act is presented, shall scrutinize the complaint and, if the complaint is accompanied by the affidavit, and the affidavit  and  the  documents,  if  any, are  found  to  be  in  order,  take cognizance and direct issuance of summons.

2. MM/JM should adopt a pragmatic and realistic approach while issuing summons.  Summons must be properly addressed and sent by post as well as by e-mail address got from the complainant.  Court, in appropriate cases, may take the assistance of the police or the nearby Court to serve notice to the accused. For notice of appearance, a short date is fixed. If the summons is received back un-served, immediate follow up action be taken.

3. Court may indicate in the summon that if the accused makes an application for compounding of offences at the first hearing of the case and, if such an application is made, Court may pass appropriate orders at the earliest.

4. Court should direct the accused, when he appears to furnish a bail bond, to ensure his appearance during trial and ask him to take notice under Section 251 Cr.P.C. to enable him to enter his plea of defence and fix the case for -defence evidence, unless an application is made by the accused under Section 145(2) for re-calling a witness for cross-examination.

5. The Court concerned must ensure  that examination-in-chief, cross- examination and re-examination of the complainant must be conducted within three months of assigning the case. The Court has option of accepting affidavits of the witnesses, instead of examining them in Court. Witnesses to the complaint and accused must be available for cross- examination as and when there is direction to this effect by the Court.

Another two Judge Bench has issued guidelines for the expeditious trial and disposal of Rape Cases. Read the Guidelines here