Srinagar: City Judge Srinagar Abdul Bari on Wednesday convicted a man in a cheque fraud case and sentenced him to one year’s simple imprisonment along with a heavy fine.
The convicted person was identified as Hakeem Zaffar Ahmad, son of Gul Mohammad Hakeem, a resident of Gulberg Colony, Buchpora Srinagar. He was found guilty of issuing fraudulent cheques to settle a loan of Rs 30 lakh borrowed from Rattan Singh, son of Sadhu Singh of Lalpora, Tral Pulwama.
The court ordered one year of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine amounting to Rs 40,35,000, which includes the cheque amount of Rs 30 lakh and 6 percent interest from the date of issuance of the cheques till the date of judgment. The total fine must be paid to the complainant within one month.
As per the case details, Zaffar Ahmad had executed an undertaking, declaration, ‘hundi’, and acknowledgment cum receipt after borrowing the loan. To liquidate the debt, he issued three cheques which were dishonored on presentation due to insufficient funds. In 2019, the complainant approached the court under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
During the trial, the court examined and cross-examined several witnesses.
In a detailed 67-page judgment, the court held that the complainant proved beyond doubt that the cheques were issued in discharge of liability and were dishonored, with the accused failing to make payment despite a demand notice.
Consequently, the court convicted the accused under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. (KNT)
