{"id":374034,"date":"2026-01-29T14:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=374034"},"modified":"2026-01-29T13:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:42:43","slug":"multiple-complaints-under-s-138-ni-act-supreme-court-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/01\/29\/multiple-complaints-under-s-138-ni-act-supreme-court-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheques Bounced? Supreme Court Confirms You Can File Multiple Complaints under S. 138 NI Act for the Same Transaction"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Supreme Court:<\/span> The bench of Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra<\/span>, JJ has held that multiple complaints under S. 138<\/a> NI Act<\/a>, arising from dishonour of multiple cheques issued pursuant to the same transaction, do not per se amount to abuse of process. Each dishonoured cheque constitutes a distinct and independent cause of action, subject to fulfilment of statutory requirements including presentation, dishonour, notice, and failure to pay.<\/p>\n

Background<\/h3>\n

In the present case, the appellant entered into an Agreement to Sell with the respondent developer for three commercial units in a Ghaziabad project, paying a total consideration of approximately ₹1.72 crore. The respondent failed to execute and register the sale deeds in the agreed timeframe. Towards refund of the amount along with compensation, the respondent issued multiple cheques, some drawn on the firm’s account and some personally by the proprietor. All the cheques were dishonoured upon presentation.<\/p>\n

Consequently, the appellant filed multiple complaints under S. 138<\/a> NI Act<\/a> in respect of the dishonoured cheques. The respondents approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the complaints. The High Court quashed one complaint on the ground that multiple prosecutions arising from the same transaction amounted to parallel proceedings, while refusing to quash other complaints. Aggrieved by the quashing of the one complaint, the appellant approached the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

Analysis and Ruling by the Supreme Court<\/h3>\n

The main issue before the Court was whether multiple complaints under S. 138<\/a> NI Act<\/a> are maintainable when multiple cheques, arising from the same transaction, are dishonoured, and whether the High Court was justified in quashing one complaint at the threshold by examining disputed questions of fact.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court held that each dishonoured cheque constitutes a distinct cause of action under Section 138<\/a> NI Act<\/a>, even if arising from the same underlying transaction.<\/p>\n

“It is well settled that under Section 138<\/a> of the NI Act<\/a>, a separate cause of action arises upon each dishonour of a cheque provided the statutory sequence of presentation, dishonour, notice, and failure to pay is complete. The fact that multiple cheques arise from one transaction will not merge them into a single cause of action.”<\/p>\n

The Court emphasized that the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction by prematurely evaluating facts during quashing:<\/p>\n

“Whether those cheques were issued as alternative or supplementary instruments, or represented fresh undertakings, is a disputed question of fact requiring evidence at trial and cannot be resolved at the threshold. Questions such as whether the firm’s cheques were issued in substitution of the personal cheques, whether the parties treated them as alternative securities, and whether both were intended to be simultaneously enforceable, are all mixed questions of fact. The inherent jurisdiction of the High Court under Section 482<\/a> CrPC<\/a> cannot be used to decide such disputed issues.”<\/p>\n

The Court, further, observed that the statutory presumption under Section 139<\/a> NI Act<\/a> operates in favour of the complainant and issues relating to legally enforceable debt or liability must be decided at trial.<\/p>\n

“A bare perusal of Section 139<\/a> of the NI Act<\/a> would indicate that once a cheque is issued in discharge of liability and dishonoured, a presumption of liability in favour of the complainant arises. The accused person is then required to rebut the presumption by raising facts that either there was no debt or liability when the cheque was drawn, or the cheque was not drawn in discharge of liability, or notice was not served in time. The statutory presumption attached to the issuance of a cheque, being one made in discharge of a legally enforceable debt or liability, is required to be accorded due weight.”<\/p>\n

Therefore, it was held that in circumstances where the accused approaches the Court seeking quashing of proceedings even before the commencement of trial, the Court must exercise circumspection and refrain from prematurely stifling the prosecution at the threshold, particularly by overlooking the legal presumption that operates in favour of the complainant.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

The Court clarified that mere multiplicity of complaints under S. 138<\/a> NI Act<\/a> does not constitute abuse of process when statutory requirements are fulfilled. In the case at hand, cheques were dishonoured, statutory notices served, and summons issued. The Court, hence, held that “the complaint prima facie stands”<\/span>.<\/p>\n

[Sumit Bansal v. MGI Developers & Promoters, 2026 SCC OnLine SC 49<\/a>, decided on 08-01-2026<\/span>]<\/p>\n

*Judgment Authored by: Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Advocates who appeared in this case:<\/p>\n

For Appellant(s):<\/span> Mr. Sameer Rohatgi, Adv., Mr. Namit Suri, AOR, Mr. Rameezudin Raja, Adv., Ms. Pepakayala Geetanjali, Adv., Mr. Anish Singh, Adv., Dr. Harshvir Pratap Sharma, Sr. Adv., Dr. Harshvir Pratapm Sharma, Sr. Adv., Mr. Tejas Patel, AOR, Mr. Akul Krishnan, Adv., Ms. Sakshi Apurva, Adv.<\/p>\n

For Respondent(s):<\/span> Dr. Harshvir Pratap Sharma, Sr. Adv., Mr. Tejas Patel, AOR, Mr. Akul Krishnan, Adv., Ms. Sakshi Apurva, Adv., Mr. Sameer Rohatgi, Adv., Mr. Namit Suri, AOR, Mr. Rameezudin Raja, Adv., Ms. Pepakayala Geetanjali, Adv., Mr. Anish Singh, Adv.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“A separate cause of action arises upon each dishonour of a cheque provided the statutory sequence of presentation, dishonour, notice, and failure to pay is complete.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":374038,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[3029,34505,55015,97688,23584,97687,13021,5363],"class_list":["post-374034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-supremecourt","tag-cheque_bounce","tag-justice-prashant-kumar-mishra","tag-justice-sanjay-karol","tag-multiple-complaints-under-section-138-ni-act","tag-section-138-ni-act","tag-section-139-presumption","tag-section-482-crpc","tag-supreme-court"],"yoast_head":"\nSupreme Court on Multiple Complaints under S. 138 NI Act| SCC Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cheques Bounced? 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Supreme Court Confirms You Can File Multiple Complaints under S. 138 NI Act for the Same Transaction"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/de579aff4bc6dd24b68d6d472ac92942","name":"Prachi Bhardwaj","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Prachi-Image2-150x150.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Prachi-Image2-150x150.png","caption":"Prachi Bhardwaj"},"description":"Senior Associate Editor","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_3\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/multiple-complaints-under-S.-138-NI-Act.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":255407,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2021\/10\/10\/section-138-ni-act-once-settlement-has-been-entered-into-the-complainant-cannot-pursue-the-original-complaint-supreme-court\/","url_meta":{"origin":374034,"position":0},"title":"Section 138 NI Act| Once settlement has been entered into, the complainant cannot pursue the original complaint: Supreme Court","author":"Prachi Bhardwaj","date":"October 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The settlement agreement subsumes the original complaint.","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sc-2-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sc-2-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sc-2-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sc-2-7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sc-2-7.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":370991,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/12\/26\/hc-roving-enquiry-debt-liability-quashing-section-138-ni-act-complaint-supreme-court-section-482-crpc\/","url_meta":{"origin":374034,"position":1},"title":"High Court Cannot Conduct Roving Enquiry into Debt or Liability While Quashing Section 138 NI Act Complaint: Supreme Court","author":"Prachi Bhardwaj","date":"December 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cUnder Section 139 of the NI Act, there is a presumption that the holder of a cheque received the cheque of the nature referred to in Section 138 NI Act for the discharge, in whole or in part, of any debt or other liability. This presumption can be rebutted by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Enquiry into Debt or Liability","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Enquiry-into-Debt-or-Liability.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Enquiry-into-Debt-or-Liability.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Enquiry-into-Debt-or-Liability.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Enquiry-into-Debt-or-Liability.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":364043,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/10\/16\/rajasthan-hc-section-138-ni-act-on-cheque-for-time-barred-debt-revives-enforceability-under-contract-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":374034,"position":2},"title":"Cheque for Time-Barred Debt Revives Enforceability Under S. 25(3) Contract Act; Dishonour attracts Section 138 NI Act: Rajasthan High Court","author":"Editor","date":"October 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cA meaningful reading of Sections 20, 118 and 139 of the NI Act makes it clear that a person who signs a cheque and delivers it to the payee remains liable unless he successfully rebuts the statutory presumptions.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Section 138 NI Act on Cheque for Time-Barred Debt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-on-Cheque-for-Time-Barred-Debt.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-on-Cheque-for-Time-Barred-Debt.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-on-Cheque-for-Time-Barred-Debt.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-on-Cheque-for-Time-Barred-Debt.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":366851,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/11\/15\/section-138-ni-act-cheque-bounce-notice\/","url_meta":{"origin":374034,"position":3},"title":"Section 138 of NI Act Explained: Cheque Bounce Notice, Procedure & Landmark Rulings","author":"Shriya Singh","date":"November 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This article aims to explain the legal framework governing cheque dishonour under Section 138 of the NI Act, with particular focus on the significance, format, and essentials of a cheque bounce notice. It also highlights key judicial developments shaping the interpretation of these provisions.","rel":"","context":"In "Law made Easy"","block_context":{"text":"Law made Easy","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/law-made-easy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Section 138 NI Act","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Section-138-NI-Act.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Section-138-NI-Act.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Section-138-NI-Act.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Section-138-NI-Act.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":275450,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/10\/12\/dishonour-cheques-section-138-ni-act-legally-enforceable-debt-encashment-supreme-court-legal-research-updates-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":374034,"position":4},"title":"Dishonour of Cheques| Section 138 NI Act would not attract if cheque does not represent a legally enforceable debt at the time of encashment","author":"Prachi Bhardwaj","date":"October 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Supreme Court: In the case where the Supreme Court was called upon to decide whether the offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 would deem to be committed if the cheque that is dishonoured does not represent the enforceable debt at the time of encashment, the bench\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-would-not-attract-if-cheque-does-not-represent-a-legally-enforceable-debt-at-the-time-of-encashment-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-would-not-attract-if-cheque-does-not-represent-a-legally-enforceable-debt-at-the-time-of-encashment-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-would-not-attract-if-cheque-does-not-represent-a-legally-enforceable-debt-at-the-time-of-encashment-1-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-would-not-attract-if-cheque-does-not-represent-a-legally-enforceable-debt-at-the-time-of-encashment-1-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Section-138-NI-Act-would-not-attract-if-cheque-does-not-represent-a-legally-enforceable-debt-at-the-time-of-encashment-1-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":266788,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/05\/12\/banks-slip-denoting-cheque-has-been-dishonoured-a-prima-facie-evidence-tis-hazari-courts\/","url_meta":{"origin":374034,"position":5},"title":"Law on S. 146 NI Act | Bank\u2019s slip denoting cheque has been dishonoured: A prima facie evidence? Explained by Tis Hazari Courts","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"May 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Tis Hazari Courts, New Delhi: While addressing a decision revolving around Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, Sanjay Sharma-II, Additional Sessions Judge-03, upheld the decision of the Trial Court and held that all the ingredients of Section 138 NI Act were fulfilled by the complainant. A criminal appeal under\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tis-hazari","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Tis-hazari.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Tis-hazari.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Tis-hazari.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Tis-hazari.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Tis-hazari.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374034"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":374040,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374034\/revisions\/374040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}