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2025 DAILYLAW 13756 (HP)

Hansa Devi v. M/S Golf Link Finance and Resorts Pvt. Ltd.

CR.R/364/2024 · 2025-07-01

Virender Singh

Criminal Appealbody2025

Judgment text

Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.

1  2025:HHC:21078 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH SHIMLA Cr. Revision No.364 of 2024 Date of Decision: 01.07.2025 Hansa Devi …Petitioner Versus M/s Golf Link Finance and Resorts Private Limited …..Respondent Coram: The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Virender Singh, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 For the Petitioner : Petitioner in person with Naveen Kumar Dass, Advocate. For the Respondent : Ms. Seema K. Guleria, Advocate. Virender Singh, Judge (Oral) Petitioner-Hansa Devi has filed the present Criminal Revision Petition against the judgment dated 27.05.2024, passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Shimla, District Shimla, H.P., (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Appellate Court’), in Criminal Appeal No.17-S/10 of 2024, titled as ‘Hansa Devi versus M/s Golf Link Finance and Resorts Private Limited’. 2. By way of judgment dated 27.05.2024, the learned Appellate Court has dismissed the appeal, filed by the 1 Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2  2025:HHC:21078 petitioner, against the judgment of conviction dated 11.12.2023 and order of sentence dated 28.12.2023, passed by the Court of learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shimla, District Shimla, H.P., (hereinafter called as the ‘trial Court’), in Computer Regd. No.225 of 2019, titled as M/s Golf Link Finance and Resorts Private Limited versus Hansa Devi’. 3. Vide judgment of conviction dated 11.12.2023 and order of sentence dated 28.12.2023, the learned trial Court has convicted the petitioner, for the offence, punishable under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘NI Act’) and sentenced her to undergo simple imprisonment, for a period of three months and to pay a compensation of Rs.3,00,000/- to the complainant. 4. After dismissal of the appeal by the learned Appellate Court, the present Criminal Revision Petition has been preferred. 5. Now, the petitioner has moved application, bearing Cr.MPST No.5869 of 2025, under Section 147 of NI Act, read with Section 528 of BNSS, for compounding of offence. 6. Statements of the petitioner, as well as, of the Advocate, appearing for respondent-company, have been recorded, in which, they have agreed that the dispute, with 3  2025:HHC:21078 regard to Cheque No.732577, dated 15.12.2018 has been settled, between the parties. 7. Today i.e. 01.07.2025, Ms. Seema K. Guleria, Advocate, appearing for respondent-Company, under instructions, has stated, regarding the factum, as to why, respondent-Company had filed the complaint, against the accused (petitioner), in which, the judgment of conviction and order of sentence have been passed, which have unsuccessfully been assailed, before the learned Appellate Court. She has also deposed that the matter has been settled with the petitioner. 8. Learned counsel, appearing for the respondent- Company, has further deposed that the respondent-Company has no objection, if the present revision petition is allowed and the judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by the learned trial Court, are ordered to be quashed and set-aside and the petitioner is acquitted from the offence, punishable under Section 138 of NI Act. 9. Today, petitioner is also present before this Court and has also stated in the aforesaid terms. She has deposed that on the basis of the compromise, the present petition may be allowed by setting aside the judgment of conviction and 4  2025:HHC:21078 order of sentence, referred to above, and she may be acquitted from the offence, punishable under Section 138 of NI Act. She has further deposed that she has deposited a sum of Rs.90,000/- before this Registry, and she has no objection, in case a sum of Rs.90,000/- is released in favour of the respondent-Company. 10. In addition to this, the petitioner has also put forward the indigent circumstances, by stating that some relaxation may be given in the compounding fee. 11. Apart from this, the petitioner-accused has also given an undertaking that she will deposit the compounding fee, within a period of ten weeks from today and in case, she fails to deposit the compounding fee, within the stipulated period, the revision petition may be treated as dismissed and in that eventuality, she will surrender before the learned trial Court to undergo the substantive sentence, imposed upon her, by the learned trial Court. 12. Considering the statements of the parties, as well as, considering the fact that the matter has been settled between the accused (petitioner) and the complainant- Company application, bearing Cr.MPST No.5869 of 2025, is 5  2025:HHC:21078 allowed and the petitioner is permitted to compound the offence. 13. Consequently, the present petition is allowed and the judgment of conviction dated 11.12.2023 and order of sentence dated 28.12.2023, passed by the learned trial Court, in Computer Regd. No.225 of 2019, which has been affirmed by learned Appellate Court, in Criminal Appeal No.17-S/10 of 2024, vide judgment dated 27.05.2024, are set aside and the petitioner is acquitted from the offence, punishable under Section 138 of the NI Act. Her personal and surety bonds are discharged. 14. However, this order shall be, subject to the deposit of 5% of the cheque amount, as compounding fee. 50% of the amount of compounding fee shall be deposited by the accused with the Member Secretary, H.P. State Legal Services Authority, Shimla, and remaining 50% of the aforesaid amount shall be deposited with the H.P. High Court, Staff Welfare Organization, Shimla, within a period of ten weeks from today. 15. It is further clarified that if the petitioner fails to deposit the compounding fee, as ordered by this Court, within a period of ten weeks, then, the present petition shall be deemed to have been dismissed, by reviving the judgment of conviction 6  2025:HHC:21078 dated 11.12.2023 and order of sentence dated 28.12.2023, passed by learned trial Court and in that eventuality, she shall surrender before the learned trial Court to undergo the substantive sentence, imposed upon her, by the learned trial Court. 16. Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall also stand disposed of. (Virender Singh) Judge July 01, 2025 (subhash)