Tagged “section-143a”

Rakesh Ranjan Shrivastava v. State of Jharkhand (2024): Section 143A interim compensation is discretionary, not mandatory

The Supreme Court held that the power to award interim compensation under Section 143A(1) of the Negotiable Instruments Act is discretionary, because it operates before conviction against a presumptively innocent accused. A digest of why 'may' cannot be read as 'shall', the factors that now guide the discretion, and what the ruling changes for cheque-dishonour litigation.