#NI Act Section 138

Karnataka High Court reinforces that victims appealing acquittals under Section 138 NI Act must file before the Sessions Court under Section 372 CrPC, not the High Court under Section 378(4) CrPC. The ruling binds lower courts to follow the Supreme Court's Celestium Financial decision, impacting victim rights in criminal appeals.

The Punjab & Haryana High Court ruled that courts may allow additional evidence under Section 348 BNSS to rectify inadvertent gaps in prosecution, particularly in Section 138 NI Act cases. This ensures procedural fairness where objective evidence, like IT returns, is crucial to proving a legally enforceable debt.

Punjab & Haryana High Court holds that an FIR under Section 174-A IPC-registered due to a declaration of a proclaimed person in a Section 138 NI Act case-must be quashed if the underlying complaint is withdrawn by mutual settlement. The ruling reinforces that criminal proceedings cannot be sustained as an abuse of process once the primary dispute is resolved.