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High Court of Gujarat

NARENDRASINH GANPATSINH BARIYA LH OF DECD. GANPATSINH MATHURBHAI BARIYAversusHIMATSINH RAMSINH ZALIYA

Disposal
97-DISPOSED AS TRANSFER TO DISTRICT/SESSION COURT N.I. ACT.

Holding

The appeal must be transferred to the Sessions Court as the proper forum under the proviso of Section 372 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Section 413 of the BNSS.

Summary

The complainant appealed the trial court's acquittal of the accused under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The appeal was filed under Section 378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Section 419 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The High Court referred to its recent decision in Shivsinh Ganpatsinh Solanki v. State of Gujarat, which held that a complainant’s right to appeal under the proviso of Section 372 CrPC (or Section 413 BNSS) lies with the Sessions Court. Accordingly, the Court declined to consider the merits and ordered the transfer of the appeal to the appropriate Sessions Court. The Registry was directed to forward the complete case record and to ensure speedy disposal by the lower appellate court.

Issues considered

  • The jurisdiction of the High Court to entertain an appeal filed under Section 378 CrPC and Section 419 BNSS against an acquittal under Section 138 NI Act.
  • The proper forum for the complainant’s appeal under the proviso of Section 372 CrPC/Section 413 BNSS.

Legislation cited

Subjects

Acquittal appealSection 138 NI ActTransfer of appealProviso of Section 372 CrPCSection 413 BNSSSessions Court jurisdictionCriminal procedure

Judgment

      R/CR.A/2325/2022                                  ORDER DATED: 04/05/2026




             IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

      R/CRIMINAL APPEAL (AGAINST ACQUITTAL) NO. 2325 of 2022

==========================================================
     NARENDRASINH GANPATSINH BARIYA LH OF DECD. GANPATSINH
                      MATHURBHAI BARIYA
                            Versus
                HIMATSINH RAMSINH ZALIYA & ANR.
==========================================================
Appearance:
APURVA K JANI(7057) for the Appellant(s) No. 1
MR. ALTAF Y CHARKHA(7271) for the Appellant(s) No. 1
MS. SHRUTI PATHAK, APP for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 2
RULE SERVED for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 1
==========================================================

 CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER

                               Date : 04/05/2026

                                ORAL ORDER


1.              This is an acquittal appeal filed under Section 378

of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred

to as ‘the Code’           for short) / under Section 419 of the

Bharatiya         Nagrik     Suraksha        Sanhita,    2023       (hereinafter

referred to as ‘BNSS’ for short) by the complainant against

the judgment and order impugned passed by the learned trial

Court, whereby the learned trial Court had acquitted the

respondent/s/accused of the charge under Section 138 of the

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (hereinafter referred to as

the ‘NI Act’ for short).



2.              Heard learned advocate for the parties. Learned

APP      has     submitted    that    this     matter   is   required       to    be




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     R/CR.A/2325/2022                                           ORDER DATED: 04/05/2026




transferred in view of the recent                        decision of this Court

passed in Criminal Misc. Application No.12753 of 2019 with

Criminal Misc. Application No.12908 of 2019.



3.               Before entering into the merits of this case, this

Court deems it proper to refer to the latest decision rendered

by this Court in the case of Shivsinh Ganpatsinh Solanki V/s

State      of    Gujarat         &    Anr.       being   Criminal        Miscellaneous
Application Nos. 12753 of 2019 with 12908 of 2019 on
23.12.2025, wherein, after considering the various judgments
of   the        Hon’ble        Supreme          Court,   more      particularly,          the

judgment         in     the     matter     of    M/s Celestium Financial V/s
A.Gyanasekaran                etc.   reported       in   2025      INSC       804,        has

observed and held that the Complainant, in a complaint

under Section 138 of the N.I. Act, being a Victim, has a

specific right to appeal under proviso of Section 372 of the

Code / Section 413 of the BNSS to the Court which is

immediately superior in hierarchy i.e., the Sessions Court.

Therefore, the applications for leave to appeal/appeal(s) which

are pending before this Court can be disposed of with a

direction       to    transfer       the    said     application/appeal(s)        to      the

concerned Sessions Court.


4.               In view of the above, learned advocate for the

petitioner requested to transfer the appeal to the concerned



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        R/CR.A/2325/2022                                                   ORDER DATED: 04/05/2026




 Sessions Court.


 5.                  In     view      of     the      said       request,         this      appeal        is

 disposed of with a direction to the Registry to transfer the

 appeal         to        the     concerned           Sessions          Court.         After       it     is

 transferred to the concerned Sessions Court, it has to be

 treated as an Appeal under the proviso under Section 372 of

 the Code / Section 413 of BNSS and numbered accordingly.

 The Registry is directed to transfer the entire record of the

 case, including the certified copies of the order impugned and

 record        &     proceedings,            if    lying        with     this      Court,        to     the

 concerned lower Appellate Court, forthwith.


 6.                  Considering that the matter has been pending for

 considerable             time,      the      learned           lower     Appellate          Court        is

 required to make endeavour to dispose of the matter as

 expeditiously as possible. It is clarified that this Court has

 not gone into the merits of the matter at this stage.




                                                                         (SANJEEV J.THAKER,J)
 ADITYA SINGH

Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judge.
Digitally signed by: ADITYA SINGH(HC02376), ENGLISH STENO GRADE-II\, at High Court of Gujarat on 04/05/2026 15:05:57




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