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What is the main objective of section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act?

Author

Emma Martinez

Published Apr 14, 2026

The objective of sec 138 of NI Act is To promote the efficiency of banking operations and to ensure credibility in transacting business through cheques is mentioned in the case law Modi Cements Ltd. v.

In respect to this, what is main objective of section 138 of Negotiable Instruments?

The penal provisions contained in Sections 138 to 142 of the Act have been enacted to ensure that obligations undertaken by issuing cheques as a mode of deferred payment are honoured. Section 138 of the Act provides for circumstances under which a case for dishonour of cheques is filed.

Furthermore, what is the new rule of Cheque bounce? The Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, aims to amend the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, asking the drawer of a cheque that has been dishonoured to pay interim compensation to the complainant. 2. The interim compensation will, however, not exceed 20% of the amount of the cheque that was dishonoured.

In respect to this, what is the meaning of section 138?

Section 138 casts a criminal liability punishable with imprisonment or fine or with both on a person who issues a cheque towards discharge of a debt or liability as a whole or in part and the cheque is dishonoured by the bank on presentation.[3] Section 138 was enacted to punish unscrupulous drawers of cheques who,

What is the time limit for Cheque bounce case?

30 days

Related Question Answers

Is Section 138 a bailable Offence?

An offence committed under Section 138 is a non-cognizable offence (a case in which a police officer cannot arrest the accused without an arrest warrant). Also, it is a bailable offence.

What are the four types of negotiable instruments?

Most Common Types of Negotiable Instruments are;
  • Promissory notes.
  • Bill of exchange.
  • Check.
  • Government promissory notes.
  • Delivery orders.
  • Customs Receipts.

What is Section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act?

The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 ("Act") deals with negotiable instruments, such as promissory notes, bills of exchange, cheques etc. Section 138 of the Act provides for circumstances under which a case for dishonour of cheques is filed.

What is Section 142 of Negotiable Instrument Act?

Section 142 of the NI Act provides a procedure and limitation period to file a complaint before the competent court. According to section 142, only Metropolitan Magistrate or Magistrate of the First Class may take cognisance of the offence. No other court has jurisdiction in respect of cheque bounce.

What is Section 138 for Cheque bouncing?

Cheque Bounce is a criminal bounce under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The punishment prescribed for the same is imprisonment which may extend up to 2 years, with or without a fine which may be of value as much as twice the value of the cheque drawn.

Where do I file a 138 complaint?

Place of filing the complaint: Place of residence/business of the complainant; Place of residence/business of Accused; Place from where the notice is sent to the drawer of the cheque demanding the cheque amount.

What is time barred Cheque?

Time-barred debt is money a consumer borrowed and didn't repay but which is no longer legally collectable because a certain number of years have passed. Time-barred debt is also known as debt that is beyond the statute of limitations.

What is Section 138 NI Act?

Section 138 casts a criminal liability punishable with imprisonment or fine or with both on a person who issues a cheque towards discharge of a debt or liability as a whole or in part and the cheque is dishonoured by the bank on presentation.[3] Section 138 was enacted to punish unscrupulous drawers of cheques who,

How many times a Cheque can bounce?

Answers (1) If the cheque gets bounce at least once than you can send a notice. you are not required to bounce the cheque mutliple times. For filing case under section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act, your only option is filing a complaint in Court.

Who can send notice under 138?

This Notice is a Notice which shall be given by the unpaid Creditor (Payee) to the defaulting Debtor (Drawer) through an Advocate in case of dishonour of Cheque under section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act.

What do you mean by endorsement?

endorsement. An endorsement is a form of public support or approval. Endorsements are given to politicians and products. If you give something an endorsement, you're basically saying "I approve of this person or product." Celebrities give politicians an endorsement if they think you should vote for them.

Who is drawer?

A drawer is a person who draws a cheque in favour of someone. The bank of the drawer is the drawee and the person in whose favour the cheque is drawn is called a payee.

Is Cheque bounce a non bailable Offence in India?

Considered an offence, a non bailable warrant can be immediately issued against you under Section 417 and Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. In case there is more than one cheque that has bounced, the payee can file separate suits against each dishonoured cheque, which can compound issues for the defaulter i.e. you.

What are negotiable instruments and their characteristics?

Characteristics of Negotiable Instruments. As per Section 13(a) of the Act, “Negotiable instrument means a promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque payable either to order or to bearer, whether the word “order” or “ bearer” appear on the instrument or not.”

How do I file a case under Section 138?

If the drawee send legal notice for payment of cheque amount against returned cheque, and the drawer does not pay the amount of cheque within 15 days of receipt of the notice, the drawer can file a criminal complaint under section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 within next one month in the court where the

What is NI Act in India?

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 is an act in India dating from the British colonial rule, that is still in force largely unchanged.

Is Cheque bounce case non bailable Offence?

The government is likely to amend the present law of punishment, making it a non-bailable offence for defaulters. At present, cheque bounce is a bailable offence with an imprisonment of up to two years or fine that may extend up to double the dishonoured amount, or both can be sentenced by the courts.

What is the validity of a bounced Cheque?

According to the NI Act the valid of any cheque is only 3 months from the date of issue. However if the cheque is bounced. One needs to file the case within the stipulated time with is approximately 75 days from the date of dishonor of cheque. Beyond the limitation the cheque instrument becomes invalid.

How do you escape a Cheque bounce case?

File a counter case: If the person files a false cheque bounce case against you in the court, you can file a reply to the case through a lawyer for cheque bounce case near you. You can also file a counter file of cheque against the person for filing a false cheque bounce case against you.

What are the consequences of Cheque bounce?

The Section 138 of the Act states that any bounce in a cheque is punishable under the Act and can lead to up to two years of imprisonment, or a monetary refund or both. Moreover, according to RBI guidelines, banks can stop issuing cheque book facilities to any customer booked for the repeated cheque bounce offence.

What happens in a Cheque bounce case?

According to Section 138 of the Act, the dishonour of cheque is a criminal offence and is punishable by imprisonment up to two years or with monetary penalty or with both. If payee decides to proceed legally, then the drawer should be given a chance of repaying the cheque amount immediately.

What is the impact of Cheque bounce?

The Section 138 of the Act states that any bounce in a cheque is punishable under the Act and can lead to up to two years of imprisonment, or a monetary refund or both. Moreover, according to RBI guidelines, banks can stop issuing cheque book facilities to any customer booked for the repeated cheque bounce offence.

What is law for Cheque bounce in India?

Cheque bounce is a criminal offence in India, covered under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The only option to the bearer of the cheque is to follow the provision of section 138 of NI act. There are a few steps to follow by the complainant. (1) The cheque should be within 3 months.

What happens if the check bounces?

When there are insufficient funds in an account, and a bank decides to bounce a check, it charges the account holder an NSF fee. If the bank accepts the check, but it makes the account negative, the bank charges an overdraft (OD) fee. If the account stays negative, the bank may charge an extended overdraft fee.

Who is payee in Cheque?

There are a number of examples of payees. A payee is the person to whom a check, promissory note, draft or bill is written out. A payee may also be the one who holds the coupons of a bond. An example of a payee in a check is one whose name appears in the caption "Pay to the Order of" on most checks.

What will happen if a Cheque bounces?

Penalty by the bank: If your cheque happens to bounce due to insufficient funds or any other technical reason like signature mismatch, both the defaulter and the payee are charged by their respective banks. Negative Impact on your CIBIL score: A bounced cheque can dent your financial credit history.

How many times Cheque can be presented?

You can present the cheque more than once in the bank during its validity period. It can be done twice or multiple number of times, provided the cheque is presented during its validity period.

What is the procedure if Cheque bounce cases?

Cheque Bounce is defined under Section- 138 of the Negotiable instruments Act, 1881. If you have received a bounced cheque then you have 2 options. You can send the person a notice and if you do not receive any response within 15 days then, You can send them a Legal Notice, by filing a complaint in Court.

What is the validity of a Cheque?

three months

How do you cancel a non bailable warrant in a Cheque bounce case?

You can get the NBW cancelled by telling the reason to the court that you were not aware regarding the warrant. The court will definitely consider it and cancel the warrant, if you had no intention to not be present before the court. Get it filed through a counsel.

Is there a time limit on Cheques?

In other words, cheques don't have an expiry date. However, it is common banking practice to reject cheques that are over six months old to protect the person who has written the cheque, in case the payment has been made another way or the cheque has been lost or stolen.

Do checks expire after 90 days?

Types of Checks Personal checks are typically valid for six months after the date written on the check. 1? But banks might not notice the date, or they might choose to process stale-dated checks for customers. 4? If you have a check that's more than 90 days old, contact the issuing bank to get a new check.