The Supreme Court on Wednesday set up a committee headed by former Bombay High Court judge Justice R C Chavan for suggesting measures for early disposal of cheque-bounce cases across the country.
A five-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde decide to set up a committee after Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, agreed in principle to the court’s suggestion to establish additional courts for expeditious trial of cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act.
Taking up a Suo Motu matter, the bench comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao, B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and S Ravindra Bhat noted that cheque bounce cases constituted almost 30 per cent of the total pendency of case at trial courts and High Courts.
The bench added that this pendency is causing a logjam at all levels, particularly at the trial court and High Court level.
The other members of the committee included officers from the Department of Financial Services, not below the rank of Additional Secretary, officers from Department of justice, corporate affairs, expenditure, Ministry of Home Affairs, a member nominated by RBI governor etc.
The committee has to submit a report within three months.
The court also asked Mehta to submit the names of other members of the committee by March 12. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra assisted the court as amicus curiae in the matter.
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