Supreme Court
NEW DELHI: As cheque bounce cases continue to clog courts, constituting up to 50% of pendency in some states, SC has issued fresh guidelines for their speedy disposal, including service of summons via WhatsApp and email, and use of QR codes or UPI links for settlement.Expressing concern over the staggering pendency, a bench of Justices Manmohan and N V Anjaria noted there were 43 lakh such cases across the country as of Dec, with Rajasthan topping at over 6.4 lakh, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, UP and Bengal. On Sept 1, Delhi had 6,50,283 pending Section 138 cases, Mumbai 1,17,190 and Calcutta 2,65,985.SC directed summons be served dasti by complainants and through electronic means, with complainants required to provide accused’s contact details. District courts must create online payment facilities for settlement at initial stage.
