#fine deposit

Uttarakhand HC held that the 20% fine-deposit under Section 148 NI Act may be lowered to Rs 10,000 for appellants facing extreme financial hardship. The reduced deposit is conditioned on the appeal being heard on its merits, creating discretionary relief for indigent defendants.

Karnataka High Court rules that appellate courts must consider financial hardship when imposing fine deposit conditions under Section 138 NI Act, granting 21-day extension for compliance. The judgment reinforces judicial discretion over mechanical enforcement, impacting accused facing economic constraints during appeals.