Allahabad High Court

MUKESH VERMAversusSTATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER

Decided: 16 September 2026
Bench: SANJAY KUMAR PACHORI

Holding

The High Court directed the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate to decide the Section 138 complaint within six months and to avoid unnecessary adjournments.

Summary

The applicant Mukesh Verma filed an application under Section 529 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, seeking a court direction that the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Court No. 3, Meerut, decide a pending complaint (Case No. 2329 of 2026) under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act without undue delay. The High Court noted that the case had been pending since 2026 and, without addressing the merits, ordered that the magistrate dispose of the complaint within six months, produce a certified copy of the order, and refrain from granting unnecessary adjournments. The direction was issued to ensure expeditious justice. The application was consequently disposed of as a final order.

Issues considered

Whether Section 529 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita empowers the High Court to direct a magistrate to decide a pending criminal complaint within a specified time frame.
Whether the High Court can impose a limitation on adjournments to ensure speedy disposal of a Section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act case.

Legislation cited

Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — s. 529
Negotiable Instruments Act — s. 138

Subjects

Section 529
case management
speedy trial
adjournments
Negotiable Instruments Act
Section 138
magistrate jurisdiction
criminal procedure

Judgment

                                             HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD

                                                APPLICATION U/S 529 BNSS No. - 4765 of 2026

                                    Mukesh Verma
                                                                                                   .....Applicant(s)
                                                                        Versus
                                    State of U.P. and Another
                                                                                                      .....Opposite
                                                                                                            Party(s)

                                    Counsel for Applicant(s)      : Indra Deo Mishra, Pankaj Kumar Tiwari,
                                                                    Pradeep Kumar Shukla
                                    Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : G.A.

                                    Court No. - 77
                                                   HON'BLE SANJAY KUMAR PACHORI, J.

                                    Heard Ms. Soniya Dwivedi, Advocate holding brief of Shri Indra Deo
                                    Mishra, learned counsel for the applicant, Shri A.K. Rai, learned A.G.A. for
                                    the State and perused material on record.

                                    The present application under Section 529 of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha
                                    Sanhita, 2023 has been filed by the applicant with a prayer to issue a
                                    direction to the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Court No. 3, Meerut to
                                    decide the Complaint Case No. 2329 of 2026, under Section 138 of
                                    Negotiable Instruments Act, Police Station Pallavpuram, District Meerut
                                    within stipulated period.

                                    Considering the fact that the case is pending since 2026, without expressing
                                    any opinion on the merits of the case, this application is finally disposed of
                                    with a direction to the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Court No. 3,
                                    Meerut to decide the aforesaid case in accordance with law, as expeditiously
                                    as possible, preferably within a period of six months, after production of
                                    certified copy of the order, without granting any unnecessary or long
                                    adjournments to either of the parties, if there is no other legal impediment.

                                    With the aforesaid directions, the application stands disposed of finally.

                                    September 17, 2026
                                    T. Sinha
                                                                                     (Sanjay Kumar Pachori,J.)




Digitally signed by :-
TRIPTI SINHA
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

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