**Sessions Court Acquits Filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma in Cheque Bouncing Case**
The sessions court recently acquitted filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma, who was found guilty of cheque bouncing. The acquittal came after Verma and the complainant reached a settlement before the Lok Adalat.
### Background of the Case
Ram Gopal Verma was initially convicted by the Judicial Magistrate (First Class) in Andheri, Y P Pujari, on January 21, under the Negotiable Instruments Act for cheque bouncing. He was sentenced to three months in jail and was directed to pay Rs 3,72,219 to the complainant within three months.
The complaint was filed in 2018 by a partnership firm named Shree, through one of its partners, Mahesh Chandra Mishra. The firm, engaged in the business of providing hard disks for several years, had supplied a hard disk to Verma’s company between February and March 2018. For this, the complainant raised a bill of Rs 2,38,220.
When the complainant deposited a cheque given by Verma on June 1, 2018, it bounced due to insufficient funds. Upon approaching Verma, the complainant received another cheque which also bounced, with the reasons cited as “payment stopped by drawer” and “outgoing clearing charges.”
As a result, the complainant filed a criminal complaint for cheque bouncing at the Magistrate Court in Andheri.
### Legal Proceedings
Verma denied the allegations, claiming that the cheque did not bear his signature and was not issued by him. However, the magistrate rejected his defense, stating, “It did not find any material brought by the accused to show the probable defence.”
Following his conviction, Verma’s lawyer challenged the verdict in the sessions court in February. During the appeal, both parties submitted a joint statement on July 29 indicating their intention to settle the dispute before the Lok Adalat.
Hearing this, the sessions court adjourned the matter to provide an opportunity for an amicable settlement. After the dispute was resolved, the parties filed a memo of settlement.
### Court Decision
Accepting the settlement, the sessions court acquitted Ram Gopal Verma. This marks the conclusion of the cheque bouncing case against the filmmaker.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/sessions-court-acquits-filmmaker-ram-gopal-verma-in-cheque-bounce-case-after-settlement-in-lok-adalat