https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=274609 A complaint under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is premature until the drawer fails to pay within the statutory 15-day period after notice, so cognizance cannot be taken before the cause of action arises. At the quashing stage, the High Court under section 482 CrPC is confined to the material before the Magistrate and cannot rely on later affidavits or documents to alter the complaint's date of service. Dishonour is not limited to an endorsement of insufficiency of funds; return unpaid in substance may attract section 138. Territorial jurisdiction lay where payment was due, but the cheating allegation under section 420 IPC was not sustainable. en-us Tue, 29 Sep 1992 00:00:00 +0530 Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:34:00 +0530 TaxTMI RSS Generator https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=274609 A complaint under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is premature until the drawer fails to pay within the statutory 15-day period after notice, so cognizance cannot be taken before the cause of action arises. At the quashing stage, the High Court under section 482 CrPC is confined to the material before the Magistrate and cannot rely on later affidavits or documents to alter the complaint's date of service. Dishonour is not limited to an endorsement of insufficiency of funds; return unpaid in substance may attract section 138. Territorial jurisdiction lay where payment was due, but the cheating allegation under section 420 IPC was not sustainable. Case-Laws Indian Laws Tue, 29 Sep 1992 00:00:00 +0530 https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=274609