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2021 (1) TMI 31 - HC - Indian LawsDishonor of Cheque - Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 - whether a direction for deposit of a part compensation before the Appellate Court is a discretion or as to whether it is in the nature of a mandate, the provisions of the Section 148 of the Act (as amended in the year 2018) need to be borne in mind? - HELD THAT:- Section 374 Cr.P.C. does not prescribe any condition for admission of an appeal. In other words, the provisions of the statute which vests a convict with a valuable right to challenge his conviction are not circumscribed by any conditions. Nor does any provision of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 refer to any pre-condition for availing a valuable right of first appeal. Section 148 of the Act just vests the Appellate Court with the power to direct the appellant to deposit an amount not less than 20% of the compensation amount but under no circumstances the same can be interpreted to be a condition pre-requisite for availing the right of appeal. Imposition of any condition at the time of suspending of sentence may be a different matter and the trial Court may in its wisdom, impose such a condition failing which the order suspending sentence may be vacated. In other words, his bail during the pendency of appeal may be cancelled upon failure of the appellant to comply with the direction of deposit of such amount as may have been directed by the Appellate Court. The right to appeal against conviction is an invaluable statutory right vested upon a convict by Cr.P.C. which cannot be allowed to be defeated by imposing any condition for availing such right. In fact, while giving a wider connotation to Article 21 of Constitution of India, it can even be said that depriving a convict of his right to appeal by imposing any pre-requisite for availing his statutory right to challenge conviction in a higher Court would amount to depriving his liberty without adhering to the established procedure of law - Even though the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 is a special Act and could override provisions of Cr.P.C., but there is no such specific provision in the Act which could be interpreted to mean that availing of right to appeal by a person convicted for an offence under the Act, has been made subject to some conditions. The submission, thus, made in this regard on behalf of the petitioner carries weight and deserves to be accepted. The condition made in the impugned orders wherein the admission of appeal has been made subject to deposit of 20% of the compensation amount is set aside and it is ordered that the appeals shall stand admitted before the lower Appellate Court. The petitioners are, however, directed to deposit an amount equivalent to 20% of the amount of compensation awarded by the trial Court within 60 days from today - In case the aforesaid amount is deposited within 60 days from today, the bail already granted vide order dated 28.2.2020 by lower Appellate Court shall continue subject to any such fresh conditions as may be imposed by lower Appellate Court. Petition accepted.
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