

SC panel, govt to meet as cheque bounce cases swamp courts
cheque bounce and NPA matters, is not just a legal problem but an economic bottleneck.“The approach is to move from a litigation-heavy enforcement model to a resolution driven framework. Reducing pendency in cheque bounce cases means unlocking stuck money, easing pressure on banks, and improving credit circulation, each of which has a direct bearing on economic growth,” Said Gauhar Mirza, partner at law firm Saraf and Partners.A similar meeting was last held on 5 February 2026, during which discussions centred on measures to settle one-third of the total pending accident claim cases in tribunals and high courts across India.Emails sent to the finance ministry, IBA, General Insurance Council, MCPC and NALSA remained unanswered till press time.Abhishek Singhvi, senior advocate at the Supreme Court, and Rajya Sabha member, said, “India, with the best and the brightest in its legal ecosystem, and despite avant garde doctrines like basic structure and PIL (public interest litigation), suffers the ignominy of humongous arrears and five crore plus case pendency.
Two biggest chunks of this are 138 and 498A cases (cheque bounce and dowry-related.) Interactions like this are much needed to find nitty-gritty practical solutions."He added that the large percentage of cheque drawers and payees would settle on some lower amounts rather than keep running to courts.“But they do not have a proper and adequate mediation mechanism. That is what will emerge out of such consultations,” Singhvi said.Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 makes cheque dishonour due to insufficient funds or payment stoppage a punishable offence.
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