BENCH AT JAIPUR vs The State Of Rajasthan, Through The Public Prosecutor.

Judgment

2. The State Of Rajasthan, Through The Public Prosecutor. Devi Singh S/o Shyo Singh, R/o Badaganv, Tehsil Mahuwa, District Dausa. ----Respondents For Petitioner(s)

: Mr. Nikhlesh Katara For Respondent(s) : Mr. Rishi Raj Singh Rathore, PP with Mr. Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, PP HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SAMEER JAIN Judgment 21/05/2025

1. Present petition is filed assailing the impugned orders dated

19.12.2023 and 16.04.2025.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner Mr. Katara has submitted that impugned orders ought to be set aside for the reason that the learned trial Court has not considered the fact that claim of the respondent herein is time barred for the reason that Section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act mandate the filing of a complaint within one month from the date of service of notice and in the instant matter complaint was filed on 13.12.2023, whereas notices were served on 09.11.2023 and cheque was dishonored on

07.10.2023. It is further submitted that learned Magistrate has taken cognizance mechanically of the offence without any judicial application of mind to the documents placed on record, particularly the amended partnership deed and affidavit executed by all the partners. Further, it is submitted that the complainant [2025:RJ-JP:21346] (2 of 5) [CRLMP-2899/2025] has not come with clean hands before this Court and has concealed his partnership status and legal infirmity in the issuance of cheque.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner has relied upon ‘para-21’ of judgment of Apex Court titled as Harshendra Kumar D. vs. Rebatilata Koley etc.: Criminal Appeal Nos.306-377 of 2011, wherein, it is stated that director who has resigned and the said resignation is duly accepted prior to issuance of cheque, then the said director can not be held liable for dishonor of cheque.

4. Upon perusal of the impugned orders, this Court has noted the following material facts:-

4.1 That liability in the partnership firm and company stands on different footing as partners in the partnership firm have unlimited liability whereas, Directors in the Company have limited liability.

4.2. That judgment relied upon by the petitioner has distinct factual matrix and point of law as the instant matter deals with ‘partners of the partnership firm’ and relied upon judgment deals with ‘Directors of a Company’.

5. This Court taking note of the observations made by the learned Trial Court, finds no reason to interfere with the present petition. Howsoever, learned trial Court is directed to consider the points qua limitation period and other as specified by the petitioner, while adjudicating the matter sub-judice before it. The relevant extract from the impugned order is reproduced herein below: “;gka ;g voyksduh; gS fd xSj fuxjkuhdkj }kjk v/khuLFk U;k;ky; ds le{k ,d ifjokn i= vUrxZr /kkjk 138 ,u0 vkbZ0 ,DV ds rgr izLrqr fd;k x;kA v/khuLFk [2025:RJ-JP:21346] (3 of 5) [CRLMP-2899/2025] U;k;ky; }kjk ifjoknh@xSj fuxjkuhdkj dh vksj ls vius ifjokn i= ds leFkZu esa izLrqr fd;s x;s vly uksfVl] vly pSd la0 436466 iatkc us’kuy cSad 'kk[kk egok ftyk nkSlk] fjVuZ eheks e; jlhn] Vªsd dUlkbZuesUV] vly fjVuZ fyQkQk bR;kfn nLrkostkr o mlds /kkjk 200 n0 iz0 la0 ds rgr izLrqr l’kiFk lk{; ds vk/kkj ij fuxjkuhdrkZ ds fo:) /kkjk 138 ,u0 vkbZ0 ,DV ds vijk/k ds vkjksi esa izlaKku fy;k x;k gSA ;gka ;g voyksduh; gS fd ifjokni= esa vafdr rF;ksa o ifjoknh dh /kkjk 200 n0 iz0 la0 ds rgr izLrqr l’kiFk lk{; ds vk/kkj ij izFke n`"V~;k ;g izdV gksus ls fd vfHk;qDr }kjk ifjoknh ls yh xbZ _.k jkf’k dh vnk;xh gsrq pSd la0 436466 iatkc us’kuy cSad 'kk[kk egok rknknh nl yk[k ipkl gtkj :i;s dk ifjoknh dks fn;k x;k] ftls fu/kkZfjr vof/k esa Hkqxrku gsrq cSad esa izLrqr djus ij vi;kZIr jkf’k ds fjekdZ ds lkFk vuknfjr dj ykSVk fn;k x;kA ftl ij ifjoknh@xSj fuxjkuhdkj la0 nks }kjk fuxjkuhdkj dks fu;ekuqlkj uksfVl fn;k x;kA ijUrq uksfVl dh tkudkjh gksus ds ckotwn fuxjkuhdkj }kjk xSj fuxjkuhdkj la0 nks dks fu/kkZfjr le;kof/k esa pSd jkf’k dk Hkqxrku ugha fd;k x;kA mDr reke fLFkfr;ksa ij fopkj djus o mudk foospu djus ds i’pkr v/khuLFk U;k;ky; }kjk vkyksP; izlaKku vkns’k ikfjr fd;k x;k gSA ;gka ;g voyksduh; gS fd fo}ku vf/koDrk fuxjkuhdkj }kjk mDr vkyksP; izlaKku vkns’k dks eq[; :i ls bu vk/kkjksa ij pqukSrh nh xbZ gS fd QeZ ds iwoZ lk>snkj yksds’k dqekj iztkir ,oa nzksirh lfgr jkds’k dqekj lSuh o egs’k pan lSuh dks lHkh ikVZuj dh lgefr ls lsokfuo`Rr dj fn;k x;k Fkk rFkk Lo;a ifjoknh lfgr vU; nks uksu lk>snkj fot;dqekj ,oa xkSjo dqekj lSuh dks u;k lk>hnkj cuk;k x;k vFkkZr~ tc nzksirh o yksds’k fnukad 15-02-2023 dks lsokfuo`Rr gks pqds rks fnukad 23-08-2023 dks muds }kjk QeZ ds lk>snkj dh gSfl;r ls pSd fn;k tkuk fdlh Hkh izdkj ls laHko ugha gSA blds vykok muds }kjk ;g vk/kkj fy;k x;k gS fd Mkd foHkkx ds Vªsd dulkbZuesUV ds eqrkfcd fnukad 09-11-2023 dks izkIr gks x;k Fkk vkSj ifjokn fnukad 13-12-2023 dks is’k fd;k x;k tks vof/k ikj dh rkjhQ esa vkrk gS] ifjoknh us U;k;ky; ls ;g rF; Hkh Nqik;k gS fd QeZ ds lHkh u;s o lsokfuo`r lk>snkjksa us feydj ,d ’kiFk i= fnukad 25-02-2023 dks lk>snkj gjKku }kjk jktLFkku jkt i= esa xtV uksfVfQds’ku gsrq fy[kk x;k Fkk] ftl ij gjKku ,oa vU; lHkh u;s o lsokfuo`Rr lk>snkjksa ds gLrk{kj gS ftuesa Lo;a ifjoknh ds gLrk{kj gS ftlls ;g Hkyh Hkkafr fl) gS fd ifjoknh dks pSd nsus okys nksuksa lk>hnkj nzksirh ,oa yksds’k fnukad 15-02-2023 dks gh lk>snkjh QeZ ls lsokfuo`Rr gks pqds gS rks muds }kjk QeZ dh vksj ls fdlh Hkh nsunkjh ds ,ot esa pSd [2025:RJ-JP:21346] (4 of 5) [CRLMP-2899/2025] fn;k tkuk fof/klEer ugha gksus ls izlaKku vkns’k fujLr gksus ;ksX; gSA tgka rd fo}ku vf/koDrk fuxjkuhdkj dk ;g rdZ jgk gS fd v/khuLFk U;k;ky; us bl rF; ij xkSj ugha fd;k fd iwoZ lk>snkj yksds’k dqekj iztkir ,oa nzksirh lfgr jkds’k dqekj lSuh o egs’k pan lSuh dks lHkh ikVZuj dh lgefr ls lsokfuo`Rr dj fn;k x;k Fkk rFkk Lo;a ifjoknh lfgr vU; nks uksu lk>snkj fot;dqekj ,oa xkSjo dqekj lSuh dks u;k lk>hnkj cuk;k x;k vFkkZr~ tc nzksirh o yksds’k fnukad 15-02-2023 dks lsokfuo`Rr gks pqds rks fnukad 23-08-2023 dks muds }kjk QeZ ds lk>snkj dh gSfl;r ls pSd fn;k tkuk fdlh Hkh izdkj ls laHko ugha gSA bl laca/k esa ;g voyksduh; gS fd iz’uxr pSd vi;kZIr jkf’k ds fjekdZ ds lkFk lacaf/kr cSad }kjk vuknfjr fd;k x;k gS] uk fd xSj fuxjkuhdkj ds uke dk pSd uk gksus ds dkj.kA ,slh fLFkfr esa mDr fuxjkuh ;kfpdk dh LVst ij ;g fu"d"kZ ugha fy;k tk ldrk fd iz’uxr pSd xSj fuxjkuhdkj la0 nks dks fuxjkuhdkj }kjk ugha fn;k x;k gksA tgka rd ifjoknh ds }kjk v/khuLFk U;k;ky; esa ifjokn vof/k ikj is’k fd;s tkus dk iz’u gS] ;s reke rF; fuxjkuhdkj leqfpr Lrj ij v/khuLFk U;k;ky; ds le{k j[k ldrk gS] ijUrq ;g dkfcys xkSj gS fd izlaKku ds Lrj ij U;k;ky; dks vfHk;qDr ds cpko ij fopkj ugha djuk gksrk gS rFkk vf/koDrk fuxjkuhdkj }kjk tks mijksDr rdZ izLrqr fd;s x;s gSa] os ek= mudk cpko gks ldrs gSA ftUgsa og leqfpr Lrj ij v/khuLFk U;k;ky; ds le{k mBk ldrs gSaA ijUrq mDr vk/kkjksa ij vkyksP; izlaKku vkns’k dks fdlh izdkj fof/k dh n`f"V esa =qfViw.kZ gksuk ugha ekuk tk ldrkA v/khuLFk U;k;ky; }kjk i=koyh ij izdV gqbZ lk{; o nLrkostkr dk iw.kZ foospu djrs gq, fof/k vuqlkj vkns’k ikfjr fd;k x;k gS] ftlesa fdlh izdkj dh dskbZ v’kq)rk] voS/krk ;k vukSfpR;rk izdV ugha gks jgh gSA v/kuLFk U;k;ky; }kjk mDr vkyksP; izlaKku vkns’k fof/k ,oa rF;ksa ds vuq:i ikfjr fd;k x;k gS] ftlesa xq.kkoxq.k ds vk/kkj ij gLr{ksi fd;s tkus dk dksbZ vk/kkj bl fuxjkuh U;k;ky; ds le{k ugha gSA vr% fuxjkuhdkj dh vksj ls izLrqr ;g fuxjkuh ;kfpdk Lohdkj fd;s tkus ;ksX; ugha gSA ifj.kkeLo:i fuxjkuhdrkZ nqtZu jke dh vksj ls izLrqr ;g nkf.Md fuxjkuh fo:) xSjfuxjkuhdrkZ jktLFkku jkT; o vU; vLohdkj dh tkdj [kkfjt dh tkrh gS rFkk fo}ku v/khuLFk U;k;ky; U;kf;d eftLVªsV] egok] ftyk nkSlk }kjk fu;fer QkStnkjh izdj.k la[;k 1267@2023 nsohflag cuke x.kir LVksu dzs’kj oxS0 esa ikfjr vkyksP; vkns’k fnukad 19-12- 2023 dh iqf"V dh tkrh gSA v/khuLFk U;k;ky; dks vkns’k dh lR;izfrfyfi izsf"kr dh tkosA” [2025:RJ-JP:21346] (5 of 5) [CRLMP-2899/2025]

6. In light of the above, the present petition is disposed of. Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed. DEEPAK/53 (SAMEER JAIN),J