Buzzbytes, Dec20:
In a significant legal development, a local court in Shopian district of South Kashmir has sentenced an individual to a two-year prison term and levied a fine of Rs 10 lakh in connection with a cheque bounce case.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Shopian delivered the verdict, stating, “The accused has been found guilty under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Consequently, a two-year imprisonment, along with an amount double the cheque value, plus 10% interest and an additional compensation of Rs. 50,000 to the complainant, has been imposed.”
Following the judgment, the court instructed the prosecuting officer to ensure the accused’s imprisonment.
The case was initiated based on a petition by Zahid Amin Malik from Chowgam, Shopian. Malik, engaged in the electrical appliance business with facilities in Bijbehara and Nowgam, Srinagar, reported that ‘ANT Enterprises Srigufwara Anantnag,’ owned by Nisar Ahmed Thukroo, procured electrical items worth Rs. 7,46,326. In lieu of the payment, the accused issued three cheques. However, these cheques, when presented at JK Bank Ltd B/U Court Road, Shopian, were returned owing to insufficient funds.
Although the accused confessed to the offense, the court clarified that in criminal cases, the verdict can only be acquittal or conviction, ultimately leading to the latter in this instance.
