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High Court of Gujarat

DEDIYASAN INDUSTRIAL CO. OP. CREDIT SOCIETY LTD THRO PATEL BHAVINKUMAR BHAILALBHAIversusSTATE OF GUJARAT

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

Holding

The High Court held that a complainant’s appeal under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act must be filed in the Sessions Court pursuant to the proviso of Section 372 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Section 413 of the BNSS, and therefore ordered the appeal to be transferred.

Summary

The appellant, Dediyasan Industrial Co. Op. Credit Society Ltd., filed an appeal against 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, referencing its recent decision in Shivsinh Ganpatsinh Solanki v. State of Gujarat (Criminal Misc. Applications Nos. 12753/2019 & 12908/2019) and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Celestium Financial v. A. Gyanasekaran (2025 INSC 804), held that a complainant’s right to appeal under the proviso of Section 372 CrPC/Section 413 BNSS lies with the Sessions Court. Consequently, the High Court disposed of the appeal by directing its transfer to the appropriate Sessions Court, without addressing the merits of the case. The order also instructed the Registry to forward the complete case record for further proceedings.

Issues considered

  • The jurisdiction of the High Court to entertain an appeal against an acquittal under Section 138 NI Act.
  • Whether the complainant’s appeal must be filed in the Sessions Court under the proviso of Section 372 CrPC/Section 413 BNSS.

Legislation cited

Subjects

Acquittal appealSection 138 NI ActJurisdictionTransfer of appealSessions CourtProviso of Section 372 CrPCSection 413 BNSS

Judgment

      R/CR.A/783/2023                                   ORDER DATED: 11/02/2026




            IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

      R/CRIMINAL APPEAL (AGAINST ACQUITTAL) NO. 783 of 2023

==========================================================
 DEDIYASAN INDUSTRIAL CO. OP. CREDIT SOCIETY LTD THRO PATEL
                 BHAVINKUMAR BHAILALBHAI
                           Versus
                 STATE OF GUJARAT & ANR.
==========================================================
Appearance:
MS RAKSHA DIKSHIT FOR MS MITTAL N PATEL(7614) for the Appellant(s)
No. 1
BAILABLE WARRANT SERVED for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 2
MS ASMITA PATEL, APP for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 1
RULE SERVED for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 2
==========================================================
 CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER

                               Date : 11/02/2026

                                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

transferred in view of the recent decision of this Court



                                     Page 1 of 3
     R/CR.A/783/2023                                         ORDER DATED: 11/02/2026




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

Sessions Court.



                                          Page 2 of 3
             R/CR.A/783/2023                                                                ORDER DATED: 11/02/2026




    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

    and issue notice to the parties. 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)
    SRILATHA


Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judge.
Digitally signed by: SRILATHA VENKATARAO UPADHYAYULA(HC00185), PRINCIPAL PRIVATE SECRETARY, at High Court of Gujarat on 11/02/2026 17:22:30




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