Chandigarh: A local court acquitted senior citizen Mangat Ram, a resident of Sector 22, in a check bounce case. The case was filed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Complainant Rajiv Kumar Sharma, a resident of Sector 44, Chandigarh, alleged in his complaint that he had given Mangat Ram a loan and that the disputed checks were issued to satisfy the same.
However, advocates Danishwar Ali and Mo Uzair, representing Mangat Ram, told the court that Mangat Ram had not taken any loan from the complainant. According to them, the checks in question were issued for business purposes, which the complainant later misused.
The lawyers also argued that Mangat Ram withdrew his funds from the bank after becoming aware of the complainant's alleged dishonest conduct.
The defense also argued that there was no receipt or document on record to prove that the complainant had lent any money to the accused. Furthermore, the complainant had not filed income tax returns that could confirm the source of the funds.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court of JMIC Divya Sharma held that the complainant had failed to prove the existence of a legal liability and the fact that a check was issued to discharge the liability. The court found that the essential elements of Section 138 were not met. Therefore, the accused, Mangat Ram, was acquitted of the charges.