MANOJ PUNDIR vs SUN ROSE TRADING PVT. LTD. — 89/2025

Case Summary: Criminal Appeal No. 89/2025 Decision: The appellate court dismissed Manoj Pundir's appeal challenging his conviction under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for issuing a dishonored cheque for Rs. 45,35,950. The court upheld the trial court's conviction and fine of Rs. 66,50,000, finding the appellant failed to substantiate his defense that the cheque was merely a security deposit or that Sun Rose Trading owed him money for set-off. Key Reasoning: The court found all statutory elements of Section 138 satisfied: the cheque was drawn by the appellant, dishonored for insufficient funds, proper legal notice was issued, and the appellant failed to make payment. The appellant admitted signing the cheque but provided only unsubstantiated defenses without corroborating evidence, while the complainant produced the registered transfer deed establishing the legally enforceable liability. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.