DELHI HIGH COURT APPOINTS FIVE RETIRED JUDICIAL OFFICERS AS PRESIDING OFFICERS OF SPECIAL COURTS

The five retired Judicial Officers are appointed by the Delhi High Court as Presiding Officers of Special Courts Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 established in compliance of Supreme Court’s directions in “in Re: Expeditious Trial of Cases under section 138 of NI Act.”

The appointments made are as follows:

Mr Rakesh Siddhartha

Mr C.K. Chaturvedi

Dr Satinder Kumar Gautam

Mr Chandra Bose

Mr Ram Bhagat Singh

From September 1,2022, the postings will come into effect.

It was stated that as per the order dated August 30, 2022, Presiding Officers, Special Court (NI Act) shall be under the control of the Principal District & Sessions Judge of the District of which they have been allocated.

Adding to it, is stated that the concerned Principal District and Sessions Judge(s) shall withdraw cases under Section 138 of. the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 from existing Courts and assigning them to the aforesaid Special Courts (NI Act) in terms of the earlier directions issued by this. Further, the court and the direction issued by Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 19.05.2022 in Suo Moto Writ (Criminal) No.2 of 2020 in Re: “Expeditious Trial of Cases under Section 138 of NI Act, 1881.

The set of directions have been issued by the Supreme Court constitution bench to expedite the trial of cheque dishonour cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

It has been requested by the Court that the High Courts to issue practice directions to the Magistrates to record reasons before converting trial of complaints under Section 138 of the Act from summary trial to summons trial.