1.0 Present application under Article 227 of the Constitution of India has been preferred by the applicantsoriginal accused to quash and set aside the impugned complaint being Criminal Case No.6038 of 2008 pending in the Court of learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Court No.21, Ahmedabad. In the alternative, it is prayed to quash and set aside the impugned order passed by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Court No.21, Ahmedabad dated 6.11.2009 passed below Exh.2 passed in aforesaid Criminal Case No.6038 of 2008 by which the learned Magistrate has dismissed the said application submitted by the petitioners, submitted under Section 201 of the Code of Criminal Procedure raising objection with respect to the territorial jurisdiction and the learned Magistrate taking cognizance of the said complaint.
2.0 The respondent no.2 hereinoriginal complaint ICICI Bank limited has filed the impugned complaint being Criminal Case No.6038 of 2008 in the Court of learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Ahmedabad against the petitioners for the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for dishonour of the cheque, which was admittedly issued by the petitioners at Mumbai. That in the said complaint the learned Magistrate has directed to issue summons against the applicants accused for the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Having served with the said summons, the applicants submitted the application Exh.2 under Section 201 of the Code of Criminal Procedure submitting that the no cause of action has arisen within territorial jurisdiction of the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Ahmedabad and therefore, the learned Metropolitan Magistrate has no territorial jurisdiction to take cognizance of the complaint/ offence. That relied upon the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of K. Bhaskaran vs. Bhaskaran Vaidhyan Balan reported in (1999) 7 SCC 510, the learned Magistrate has dismissed the said application by holding that he would have a territorial jurisdiction. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned order, the applicants hereinoriginal accused have preferred the present Special Criminal Application under Article 227 of the Constitution of India.
3.1 Shri V.K. Shah, learned advocate for the applicants has vehemently submitted that the learned Magistrate has committed an error in holding that the cause of action has arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of the leaned Metropolitan Magistrate and that the learned Metropolitan Magistrate would have territorial jurisdiction. It is submitted that as such the learned Magistrate has not considered the subsequent decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of M/s. Harman Electronics (P) Ltd vs. M/s. National Panasonic India Ltd reported in AIR 2009 SC 1168, though it was pointed out. It is submitted that in any case considering the fact that the entire loan transaction has taken place at Mumbai; even the accused persons are also residing and carrying out their business at Mumbai and even the cheque in question which has been dishonoured was issued at Mumbai, no cause of action has arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of the learned Metropolitan Magistrate. It is submitted that merely because the complainant has branch office at Ahmedabad and notice under Section 138 of the Act is issued from Ahmedabad Branch and the cheque in question was deposited at Ahmedabad, it cannot be said that the cause of action has arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Ahmedabad.
3.2. Shri V.K. Shah, learned advocate for the applicants has heavily relied upon the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of M/s. Harman Electronics (P) Ltd (supra) as well as unreported decision of this Court in Special Criminal Application No. 1208 of 2011. Therefore, it is requested to consider alternative prayer of the applicants and reserving the liberty in favour of the applicants to submit an appropriate application before the concerned High Court for quashing and setting aside the complaint.
4.0 Shri Dharmesh Shah, learned Advocate has appeared on behalf of the original complainant. He is not in a position to satisfy the Court how the cause of action has arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Ahmedabad who has taken cognizance of the complaint against the petitioners and who has directed to issue the summons against the applicants under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. However, has submitted that on the aforesaid ground the impugned complaint may not be quashed and set aside and at the most the learned Magistrate can be directed to return the complaint to the complainant for presenting it before the concerned Court / Magistrate having jurisdiction.
5.0 Shri Dabhi, learned Additional Public Prosecutor has requested to pass an appropriate order in the facts and circumstance of the case.
6.0 Heard the learned advocates for the respective parties at length. At the outset, it is required to be noted that the cheque in question has been issued by the petitioners herein for loan transaction which has taken place at Mumbai. Even the loan amount was also given to the applicants at Mumbai. Even the cheque in question has been given by the applicants at Mumbai only the cheque has been deposited at the Ahmedabad branch of the complainant and thereafter the statutory notice has been issued from the very branch office at Ahmedabad. Except deposit of the cheque at Ahmedabad and issuance of the notice, no other things have taken place at Ahmedabad. In similar set of facts and circumstance relying upon the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of M/s. Harman Electronics (P) Ltd (supra) this Court has taken the view that mere issuance of notice and / or deposit of the cheque cannot give rise to cause of action to file a complaint within territorial jurisdiction of the concerned Magistrate. Considering the fact that entire transaction has taken place at Mumbai and the amount under the loan transaction was paid to the applicants at Mumbai and the applicants are also residing and carrying out the business at Mumbai and even cheque in question was issued and given at Mumbai, the learned Magistrate has materially erred in holding that the cause of action has arisen within the territorial jurisdiction of the learned Magistrate, who has taken the cognizance and directed to issue the summons against the applicants. Under the circumstance and considering the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of M/s. Harman Electronics (P) Ltd (supra) as well as unreported decision of this Court in I.C.I.C.I Bank Ltd the impugned order passed by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Court No.21, Ahmedabadd passed below Exh.2 in Criminal Case No 6038 of 2008 cannot be sustained and same deserve to be quashed and set aside. However, on the aforesaid ground the complaint cannot be quashed and set aside. At the most the learned Magistrate can be directed to return the complaint to the complainant for presenting it before the concerned Magistrate having territorial jurisdiction i.e. at Mumbai.
7.0 In view of the above and for the reason stated above, present application succeed. The impugned order dated 6.11.2009 passed by the learned Magistrate, Court No.21, passed below Exh.2 is hereby quashed and set aside and order passed by the learned Magistrate taking cognizance and directing to issue summons against the applicants in the said complaint for the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is hereby quashed and set aside and learned Magistrate is directed to return the said complaint to the original complainant for presenting it before the Court/ Magistrate having territorial jurisdiction i.e. at Mumbai within a period of four weeks from the presentation of the present order but not later than six weeks from today and on return of the said complaint to the complainant, the complainant to file it before the appropriate Court having jurisdiction within a period of four weeks thereafter. Thereafter, if the petitioners are aggrieved with complaint, it will always been open for them to submit an appropriate application for quashing before the concerned High Court, which can be considered in accordance with law and on merits and this Court has not expressed anything on merits in favour of either parties. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent.
kaushik sd/ (M.R.SHAH, J.)