New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday gave directions to ensure speedy disposal of cheque bounce cases. It also asked the Centre to amend laws to ensure clubbing of trials in cases that are lodged within one year against a person relating to the same transaction.
The apex court directed all the high courts across the country to issue guidelines for trial courts to deal with cheque bounce cases, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported quoting PTI.
Here is what a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said:
- The evidence in cheque dishonour cases can now be tendered by filing affidavits and there would be no need to examine witnesses physically.
- Trials in cheque bounce cases lodged in 12 months against a person can be clubbed together into one consolidated case.
- Trial courts have no “inherent power” to reconsider their decisions to summon persons to face trials in the cheque bounce cases.
On March 10, the top court had constituted a committee to submit a report in three months specifying the steps to be taken for an early disposal of cheque bounce cases across the country.
It said a three-judge bench would now take up the suo motu matter on ensuring early disposal of cheque bounce cases after eight weeks.
