Govt agrees to set up additional courts for cheque-bounce cases | India News – Times of India
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices L N Rao, B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and S R Bhat that the Union government in principle had no difficulty in agreeing with the legal proposition that additional courts could be set up exclusively for dealing with pending cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
Bounced cheques form the single-largest category of pending cases in lower courts. The committee formed by the SC must find some innovative and out-of-the-box solution to the problem. Apart from helping those who are wasting time and money in the litigation, this will also reduce pendency in courts and hence help all litigants.
However, he suggested that the modalities for the required number of courts, the procedure to be followed and to provide a mechanism that would not be taxing on lawyers and litigants would have to be worked out by an expert committee.
The bench agreed with the SG’s proposition and on his suggestion, set up a jumbo committee headed by former Bombay HC judge R C Chauhan to give a report within three months. The bench said all suggestions given by various stakeholders to the court would be considered in detail by the committee. With over three crore cases pending in trial courts, HCs and the SC, the CJI-led bench in its order said, “ These delays are creating a logjam in courts at all three levels, particularly in trial courts and HCs. These cases constitute 30% of total pendency in courts.”
