In a major administrative move to reduce the mounting backlog of cheque bounce cases and speed up the judicial process, all cheque dishonour cases between private parties in Ahmedabad will be transferred to the Metropolitan Courts at Ghee Kanta from August 1, 2024.
As per an order issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate D.H. Khambhati, only institutional cheque bounce cases will continue to be heard at the special courts located at Apna Bazar in Lal Darwaja.
Under the new arrangement, the special courts will exclusively handle cases filed by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), financial institutions, and other recognised lending agencies. Private disputes involving cheque dishonour in business transactions, personal loans, or friendly borrowings will be shifted to the regular Metropolitan Courts at Ghee Kanta. These cases will be assigned based on the jurisdiction of the concerned police station.
According to former Gujarat Bar Council chairman Anil C. Kella, the decision has been taken to ease the burden on special courts. Ahmedabad currently has around 4.5 lakh pending cheque bounce cases, of which more than 50,000 involve private parties. Despite increasing the number of courts, the backlog has continued to grow, prompting the administrative reclassification.
However, not all private cheque bounce cases will be transferred. Cases that have already reached an advanced stage will remain before the special courts.These include matters stayed or specifically directed by the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court, cases where the accused’s further statement has been recorded, matters where final arguments are in progress or judgment has been reserved, and cases where settlement or withdrawal proceedings are at an advanced stage.