SC rejects plea to remove lockdown period for calculating cheque limitation

A bench headed by Justice R Banumathi, which heard the matter through video-conferencing, said that the issue raised in the plea relates to "policy decisions" and the court cannot issue such direction

The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a direction to exclude the time period of Covid-19 lockdown for calculating the limitation for the presentation of cheque or demand draft as directed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in November 2011.

In its November 4, 2011 directive, the RBI had said that "with effect from April 1, 2012, banks should not make payment of cheques/drafts/pay orders/banker's cheques bearing that date or any subsequent date, if they are presented beyond the period of three months from the date of such instrument".

A bench headed by Justice R Banumathi, which heard