{"id":5196,"date":"2025-03-17T21:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T15:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/?p=5196"},"modified":"2025-03-17T21:59:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T16:29:23","slug":"k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary\/","title":{"rendered":"K. Bhaskaran vs Sankaran 1999 (Case Summary)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5196\" class=\"elementor elementor-5196\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-446da8ab elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"446da8ab\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5b1864d5\" data-id=\"5b1864d5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-399a9286 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"399a9286\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-3950506d\" data-id=\"3950506d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c0e5a25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1c0e5a25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">K. Bhaskaran vs Sankaran 1999 (Case Summary)<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ffe9ff0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4ffe9ff0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1312\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/in-a-warm-inviting-office-setting-bathed_6RJ0iUOgQHOjpjjVQbj51Q_lRRyEPzVSdSKQ4Tjt6FWNA.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536 wp-image-5199\" alt=\"K. Bhaskaran vs Sankaran 1999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/in-a-warm-inviting-office-setting-bathed_6RJ0iUOgQHOjpjjVQbj51Q_lRRyEPzVSdSKQ4Tjt6FWNA.jpeg 1312w, https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/in-a-warm-inviting-office-setting-bathed_6RJ0iUOgQHOjpjjVQbj51Q_lRRyEPzVSdSKQ4Tjt6FWNA-300x168.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/in-a-warm-inviting-office-setting-bathed_6RJ0iUOgQHOjpjjVQbj51Q_lRRyEPzVSdSKQ4Tjt6FWNA-1024x574.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/in-a-warm-inviting-office-setting-bathed_6RJ0iUOgQHOjpjjVQbj51Q_lRRyEPzVSdSKQ4Tjt6FWNA-150x84.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/in-a-warm-inviting-office-setting-bathed_6RJ0iUOgQHOjpjjVQbj51Q_lRRyEPzVSdSKQ4Tjt6FWNA-768x431.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1312px) 100vw, 1312px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65ce790 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"65ce790\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This landmark case of Hon\u2019ble Supreme Court also known as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K. Bhaskaran\u2019s case,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> opened the gateway of complainants in Cheque Dishonour cases to file Complaints u\/s 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in any jurisdiction at their discretion where any act related to the offence occurred.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary\/#Facts_of_K_Bhaskaran_v_Sankaran\" >Facts of K. Bhaskaran v. Sankaran<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary\/#Issues_framed\" >Issues framed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary\/#Subordinate_Court_Judgment\" >Subordinate Court Judgment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary\/#Judgment_of_K_Bhaskaran_v_Sankaran\" >Judgment of K. Bhaskaran v. Sankaran<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/k-bhaskaran-vs-sankaran-1999-case-summary\/#Refer_to_the_Judgment_below\" >Refer to the Judgment below.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facts_of_K_Bhaskaran_v_Sankaran\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Facts of K. Bhaskaran v. Sankaran<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the parties are siblings, being sons of the same parents. The Accused <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(K. Bhaskaran) <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">issued a cheque of one lakh Rupees in favour\u00a0 of the Complainant (Sankaran). The said cheque bounced. Consequently, a return memo with remarks of \u201cInsufficient Funds\u201d\u00a0 was given by the Bank to the Complainant.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complainant (Sankaran) filed a complaint u\/s 138 of the NI Act, which was decided in favour of the Accused by the Trial and the complaint case case was dismissed.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Magistrate while upholding the contention of the Accused that his court had no territorial jurisdiction to try the case as the cheque was dishonoured by the Branch office of the Bank situated in a different district.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complainant appealed to the Hon\u2019ble High Court against the acquittal of the Accused. The High Court reversed the Judgment of the Trial Court and convicted the Accused.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Accused, thereafter, appealed to the Hon\u2019ble Supreme Court of India contending that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to try the complaint <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as the cheque was dishonoured by the Branch office of the bank situated in a different district.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He further contended that he did not receive the Statutory Notice u\/s 138 of NI Act.<\/span><\/li><\/ol><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Issues_framed\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Issues framed<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether statutory notice under section 138 NI Act is sufficient Notice when it returns unclaimed?<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether the Trial court did not have Territorial Jurisdiction to try the complaint as the cheque was dishonoured by the branch office of the bank situated in a different district?<\/span><\/li><\/ol><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subordinate_Court_Judgment\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Subordinate Court Judgment<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After being acquitted by the trial court, the High Court convicted the Accused and reversed the findings of the Trial Court. The Accused thereafter, appealed to the Hon\u2019ble Apex Court.<\/span><\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judgment_of_K_Bhaskaran_v_Sankaran\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Judgment of K. Bhaskaran v. Sankaran<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hon\u2019ble Supreme Court analysed section 138, 139, 118 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The Court in order to decide the Jurisdiction analysed 177,178 and 179 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court held that Dishonour of Cheque is a criminal offence and therefore, the jurisdiction shall be in consonance with Section 178 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Section 178 of the CrPC is reiterated herein below for your reference:<\/span><\/p><ol start=\"178\"><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Place of inquiry or trial. \u2014(a) When it is uncertain in which of several local areas an offence was committed, or\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(b) where an offence is committed partly in one local area and partly in another, or\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(c) where an offence is a continuing one, and continues to be committed in more local areas than one, or\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(d) where it consists of several acts done in different local areas, it may be inquired into or tried by a Court having jurisdiction over any of such local areas<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court Further held that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the offence under <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indiankanoon.org\/doc\/1823824\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Section 138<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Act can be completed only with the concatenation of a number of acts. Following are the acts which are components of the said offence :\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(1) Drawing of the cheque,\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(2) Presentation of the cheque to the bank,\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(3) Returning the cheque unpaid by the drawee bank,\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(4) Giving notice in writing to the drawer of the cheque demanding payment of the cheque amount,\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(5) failure of the drawer to make payment within 15 days of the receipt of the notice.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court concluded by setting up a precedent that section 178 of CrPC shall be applicable in complaint cases u\/s 138 of NI Act allowing the complainant to file the complaint at any place where any of the above mentioned 5 Acts took place. This case broadened the jurisdiction and gave the Complainant immense discretion to file cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ratio of this case famously called as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bhaskaran\u2019s case <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was later over-ruled in the case of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/banking-and-insurance-law\/dashrath-rupsingh-rathod-vs-state-of-maharashtra-anr-2014-case-summary\/\">Dashrath Rupsingh Rathod vs State of Maharashtra &amp; Anr on 1 August 2014<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Refer_to_the_Judgment_below\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Refer to the Judgment below.<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db52812 elementor-widget elementor-widget-pdfjs-viewer\" data-id=\"db52812\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"pdfjs-viewer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe width=\"\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdfjs-viewer-for-elementor\/\/assets\/js\/pdfjs\/web\/viewer.html?file=https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-content\/uploads\/K.-Bhaskaran-vs-Sankaran-1999-1.pdf\"><\/iframe>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This landmark case of Hon\u2019ble Supreme Court also known as K. Bhaskaran\u2019s case, opened the gateway of complainants in Cheque Dishonour cases to file Complaints u\/s 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in any jurisdiction at their discretion where any act related to the offence occurred.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[116],"tags":[119,118,12],"class_list":["post-5196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-banking-and-insurance-law","tag-dishonour-cheque","tag-section-138-ni-act-1881","tag-supreme-court"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5196"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5213,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5196\/revisions\/5213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fawyerz.in\/judgments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}