1 2025:CGHC:61886 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRMP No. 164 of 2025 Sanjay Tiwari S/o Late Sudhakar Tiwari Aged About 46 Years R/o Maa Kanak Medical Store Link Road Camp- 2 Bhilai Tehsil And District - Durg (C.G.) (Complainant) ... Petitioner versus Sanjeev Kumar Verma S/o L.M. Verma (Wrongly Mentioned As Sajeev Kumar Verma ) R/o Q. No. 376 Street -5 Shanti Nagar Bhilai District - Durg (C.G.) (Accused) ... Respondent For Petitioner : Mr. Jitendra Gupta, Advocate For Respondent : Not noticed Hon'ble Shri Justice Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal Order on Board 19/12/2025 1. The complainant/petitioner has filed this petition under Section 419(4) of BNSS seeking grant of leave to appeal. The prayer made in the acquittal appeal filed along-with the SHUBHAM SINGH RAGHUVANSHI Digitally signed by SHUBHAM SINGH RAGHUVANSHI Date: 2025.12.19 16:55:06 +0530 2 petition shows that he seeks a direction to set aside the impugned judgment dated 21.10.2024 passed by learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Durg (C.G.) in RCC/Case No. 10408/2015 by which the respondent/accused was acquitted of the charge under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that since the complaint filed u/s section 138 of NI Act before the trial Court stood dismissed, the petition filed u/s 419(4) of BNSS can be disposed of in terms of an acquittal appeal and it is no longer necessary to seek special leave to appeal, because the complainant is considered victim and has statutory right to appeal under the proviso to Section 413 BNSS (Section 372 CrPC). 3. Having considered the submission made by learned counsel, this Court is inclined to dispose of this petition in terms of acquittal appeal. 4. At this stage, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in view of the recent decision of the Supreme Court rendered in M/s. Celestium Financial Vs. A. Gnanasekaran Etc. reported in 2025 INSC 804 wherein it has been held that the complainant in a complaint filed under section 138 of the Act of 1881 is also a victim as defined in section 2(wa) of Cr.P.C. corresponding to Section 2(y) of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short the “BNSS”) and the said complaint can also be entitled to file an appeal under proviso to section 372 Cr.P.C. corresponding to Section 413 of the BNSS, therefore, the case may be disposed of reserving liberty so as to avail the said remedy of appeal. 5. In view of the aforesaid submission and considering the law declared in the matter of Celestium Financial (supra), this 3 Cr.M.P/Appeal is disposed of reserving liberty in favour of the petitioner to file an appeal within a period of 60 days from today before the appropriate Court, in accordance with law. It is further made clear that if such an appeal is filed before the concerned Court within the time given by this Court, it would not insist upon the limitation while deciding the same and will proceed to decide the same in accordance with law. 6. Registry shall return the certified copy of the impugned judgment/order and relevant documents to counsel for the petitioner after retaining the photocopy of the same. 7. Registry shall send back the record to the concerned Court. Sd/- (Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal) Judge Shubham