Bom HC: Appeal challenging judgment of acquittal u/s 138 of NI Act will lay before High court

 Application seeking 
leave   to   file   Appeal   challenging   judgment   of 
acquittal   under   Section   138   of   Negotiable 

Instruments Act would not come within the purview 
and ambit of amended provisions of Section 372 of 
Cr.P.C.     The remedy to the aggrieved person was 
before   this   Court   in   terms   of   Section   378(4)   of 
Cr.P.C.   to   seek   leave.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
CRIMINAL REVISION APPLICATION NO. 158 OF 2012

Sow. Kalpana  Vinod Muley Vs The State of Maharashtra 

CORAM   :  K.U.CHANDIWAL, J.
DATED   :  JANUARY 9, 2013
Citation; 2013 ALL M R(cri)2713

2] A   report   is   received   from   learned   Addl. 
Sessions   Judge,   Basmathnagar   dated   20th  November, 
2012 disclosing events that have taken place in the 
matter of condoning the delay.   Learned Judge had 
referred   to   the   order   passed   in   Criminal 
Application   No.1337   of   2009   dated   19th  October, 
2010 by this Court which reads as under :­

“ Heard.     Allowed   to   withdraw   the 
application   with   liberty   to   file   an 
appeal   before   the   Court   of   Sessions,   in 
because   the   acquittal   is   for   offence 
under   Section   138   of   the   Negotiable 
Instruments Act.   The time spent in this 
Court, if any, may be considered for the 
purpose   of   condonation   of   delay   under 
Section 14 of the Limitation Act, 1963.
The   application   is   disposed   of   as 
withdrawn”  
The learned Addl. Sessions Judge, considering the 
condonation   of   delay,   entertained   the   Appeal   and 
recorded order of conviction.  
3] The   legal   position,   in   respect   of   preferring 
Appeal against acquittal and seeking leave to file 
Appeal in terms of Section 378(4) of the Code of 
Criminal   Procedure   to   High   Court   is   well   settled 
and   could   not   have   been   entertained   by   learned 
Addl. Sessions Judge.   This view is taken in the 
matter of  Top Notch Infortronix (I) Pvt. Ltd. Vs. 
M/s.Infosoft Systems and ors, 2011(6)Mh.L.J.165 and 
in the matter of  Shantaram Laxman Tande and ors. 
Vs. Dipak Madhav Gaikwad and ors, 2012(2)Bom.C.R.
(Cri.) 768.   Consequently, the application seeking 
leave   to   file   Appeal   challenging   judgment   of 
acquittal   under   Section   138   of   Negotiable 

Instruments Act would not come within the purview 
and ambit of amended provisions of Section 372 of 
Cr.P.C.     The remedy to the aggrieved person was 
before   this   Court   in   terms   of   Section   378(4)   of 
Cr.P.C.   to   seek   leave.     The   order   of   conviction 
recorded against the petitioner is set aside.  The 
respondent – original complainant is at liberty to 
exhaust his legal remedies.
4] Criminal   Revision   Application   is   disposed. 
Rule discharged.
   [K.U.CHANDIWAL, J.]

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