Delhi High Court appoints Presiding Officers of Special Courts (Sec 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act)

Delhi High Court appoints Presiding Officers of Special Courts (Sec 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act)

The Delhi High Court has announced the appointment of five retired judicial officers as Presiding Officers of Special Courts (Negotiable Instruments Act), effective from September 1, 2022.

The Presiding Officers are as follows:

- Mr. Rakesh Siddhartha

- Mr. C.K. Chaturvedi

- Dr. Satinder Kumar Gautam

- Mr. Chandra Bose

- Mr. Ram Bhagat Singh

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 to which they have been allocated.

"The concerned Principal District and Sessions Judge(s) shall withdraw cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 from existing Courts and assign them to the aforesaid Special Courts (NI Act) in terms of the earlier directions issued by this. Court and the directions 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"," it adds.

The Special Courts (NI Act) are established in compliance of Supreme Court's directions in "in Re: Expeditious Trial of Cases under sec. 138 of NI Act," to expedite the trial of cheque dishonour cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

The Court had requested 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.