Following a directive from the Supreme Court, three special courts will be set up in the Metropolitan Court of Ahmedabad. These new courts will be dedicated to wrapping up check-bounce cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The staff, including the judges, have been appointed for the courts, which will be functional from September 1, 2022.
Currently, the city has 10 courts to dispose of the check-bounce cases. Nevertheless, 2 lakh cases are still pending.
Supreme Court’s directions came after it identified states that had the highest number of pending check bounce cases. The five states, namely, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, have been instructed to establish special courts for these cases. The apex court also said that these courts will be headed by retired judges in five districts of the five states.