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High Court of Gujarat

KANAIYO @ KANAIYALAL DIPCHAND DASANIversusSTATE OF GUJARAT

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

Holding

A complainant‑victim under Section 138 of the NI Act has a specific right to appeal to the Sessions Court, and such appeals must be transferred to that court rather than heard by the High Court.

Summary

The appellant, Kanaiyo @ Kanaiyalal Dipchand Dasani, filed an appeal under Section 378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Section 419 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita against the trial court's acquittal on a charge under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The appellant sought to challenge the acquittal, but the High Court first considered whether the appeal should be heard by it or transferred to a Sessions Court as mandated by the proviso of Section 372 of the Code and Section 413 of the BNSS. Relying on its recent decision in Shivsinh Ganpatsinh Solanki v. State of Gujarat (Criminal Misc. Applications Nos. 12753/2019 & 12908/2019, 23‑12‑2025) and the Supreme Court’s judgment in M/s Celestium Financial v. A. Gyanasekaran (2025 INSC 804), the Court held that a complainant‑victim has a specific right to appeal to the immediately superior court. Consequently, the High Court declined to examine the merits of the appeal and ordered the case to be transferred to the appropriate Sessions Court. The Registry was directed to forward the complete record, and the lower appellate court was instructed to dispose of the matter expeditiously.

Issues considered

  • The jurisdictional propriety of the High Court hearing an appeal against acquittal under Section 138 NI Act versus transferring it to the Sessions Court under the proviso of Section 372 of the Code and Section 413 of the BNSS.

Legislation cited

Subjects

Section 138 NI Actappeal against acquittaltransfer of appealproviso of Section 372BNSSjurisdictionsessions court

Judgment

      R/CR.A/919/2023                                   ORDER DATED: 27/02/2026




            IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

      R/CRIMINAL APPEAL (AGAINST ACQUITTAL) NO. 919 of 2023

==========================================================
                 KANAIYO @ KANAIYALAL DIPCHAND DASANI
                                 Versus
                        STATE OF GUJARAT & ANR.
==========================================================
Appearance:
MR D M AHUJA(115) for the Appellant(s) No. 1
BAILABLE WARRANT NOT RECEIVED BACK for the
Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 2
MR. YUVRAJ BRAHMBHATT, APP for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 1
RULE UNSERVED for the Opponent(s)/Respondent(s) No. 2
==========================================================

 CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER

                               Date : 27/02/2026

                                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




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     R/CR.A/919/2023                                         ORDER DATED: 27/02/2026




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/919/2023                                                   ORDER DATED: 27/02/2026




 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 27/02/2026 16:19:58




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