In Brief
A cheque drawer appealed against a High Court order quashing a complaint filed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for dishonour of cheques worth Rs 49 lakhs. The complaint was filed 161 days after receiving the dishonour memo, beyond the one-month statutory limit. The Supreme Court held that while notice must be issued within 30 days of dishonour, the trial court may condone delay in filing the complaint if sufficient cause is shown. The first notice was issued within the deadline; subsequent delay in filing was adequately explained. The Court allowed the appeal and restored the complaint for trial."
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