Court awards 2 yr jail term in cheque bounce case

Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon also asked the convict to pay a compensation of Rs 1.6 lakh to the person, in whose favour the dishonoured cheque worth Rs 80,000 had been issued in 2007.

The court awarded jail term to convict Atul Verma, a Delhi resident, rejecting his pleas for leniency and release on probation.

"I am not inclined to grant the benefit of Probation of Offenders Act since the cases of dishonour of cheques are on rise in the society and the same shall not serve as deterrent to others, said the court.

The judgement came on a complaint by Delhi resident Sandeep Sangwan who had alleged that he had given "friendly loan" of Rs 80,000 to the accused in 2006 against which Verma had issued two post dated cheques of Rs 40,000 each to him.

When the cheques were deposited with the bank, they were returned with the remark "insufficient funds", Sangwan said.

The charges were denied by Verma, who said the cheques had been issued by him for a property deal which was later cancelled.

The court, however, convicted him after going through the evidence and documents.

It, however, granted one month to him to appeal against the order and released him on bail.