Rajya Sabha passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill

Rajya Sabha on 7 December 2015 passed the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The Bill provides for filing of cheque bounce cases at the place where a cheque is presented for clearance and not the place of issue. Earlier in August 2015, the bill was passed by Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session of the parliament. The Bill seeks to amend the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. It will have implications for over 18 lakh cheque bounce cases pending in various courts.

Provisions of the Bill:

• It amends the Act to state that cases of bouncing of cheques can be filed only in a court in whose jurisdiction the bank branch of the payee (person who receives the cheque) lies.

• If a complaint against a person issuing a cheque has been filed in the court with the appropriate jurisdiction, then all subsequent complaints against that person will be filed in the same court.

• If more than one case is filed against the same person before different courts, the case will be transferred to the court with the appropriate jurisdiction.

• The Bills also amends the definition of cheque in the electronic form.  The definition has been amended to mean a cheque drawn in electronic medium using any computer resource.