Case Law Analysis
|Himachal Pradesh High Court
Section 138 NI Act | Complaint Filed Before Deemed Service of Notice Is Jurisdictionally Void : HP HC
The Himachal Pradesh High Court set aside a cheque bounce conviction because the complaint was filed before the statutory 15-day notice period expired, ruling that a premature complaint is jurisdictionally defective and legally non-existent. The decision reinforces that strict compliance with Section 138's procedural timeline is a jurisdictional prerequisite, not a mere formality.