In Brief
An appellant challenged the handling of four cheque bounce cases filed in 1999 arising from a single notice under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The appellant sought consolidation into one trial, citing Section 219 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (which permits joint trials of offences within one year). The Supreme Court held that while Section 219 allows joint trials, it does not mandate consolidation and permits only up to three cases per trial. No statutory provision exists for case consolidation. The Court directed that all four cases be fixed on a single date for administrative convenience and that trials proceed with day-to-day hearings for completion by 31 December 2019."
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