Woman gets 2-yr jail in cheque-bounce case

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 9

A local court has awarded two-year imprisonment to a city resident in a cheque bounce case of Rs 49 lakh. It has also directed the accused to refund the amount within one month.

Kamaldeep Verma, a resident of Sector 38 (West), Chandigarh, had filed a complaint against Sudesh Kumari, a manager in a private bank.

In his complaint, Verma mentioned that he knew Kumari, a resident of Sector 21, for over three years. Kumari had told him that she had a direct link in Australia and contractors like him were required in Australia as per their new immigration policy and they could arrange visa for him and his entire family on a permanent basis.

In four installments, from April 28 to July 7, 2017, Verma paid Rs 49 lakh. When he enquired about the status of his application, he was told that it was likely to be accepted and once it got approval, they would seek his and his family’s passports for getting visa.

However, as there was no response from Kumari, Verma got suspicious and enquired about the process from some other person who informed him that there was no such policy regarding immigration which could be applied without passport.

Following this, Verma asked Kumari to return his money which she issued him a cheque. However, on July 21, 2017, the cheque was dishonoured by the bank with the remarks of “insufficient funds”.

During trial, Kumari pleaded non-guilty and said she was falsely implicated in the complaint.

After hearing the arguments, the court observed that the convict had committed a serious offence by “deliberately failing in discharge of her economic liability and has failed to ensure the payment of cheque drawn by her”.

“The commission of offence punishable under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is increasing day by day and is required to be dealt with strictly. The cheque amount is also quite heavy. Thus, the accused does not deserve any leniency of probation,” the court said.

Sudesh Kumari was awarded two-year rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 3,000.

The court also directed the convict to pay the amount equivalent to the cheques amounting Rs 49 lakh within one month.