Cheque relief for company officers

New Delhi The director or any other official of a company cannot be summoned by a court in a cheque bounce case unless the complainant states in a sworn statement that he was in charge of the company’s affairs at that time, the Supreme Court has ruled.

“Merely being a director of a company is not sufficient to make a person liable under Section 141 of the Negotiable Instruments Act,’’ the court said.

Under Section 200 of the CrPC, it is mandatory for a complainant to make statements on oath as to how the offence has been committed and how the accused are responsible, the court said.

“In a case where the court is required to issue summons, which would put the accused to some sort of harassment, the court should insist on strict compliance of the statutory requirements,’’ the court said, while quashing summons issued to two directors of a Bangalore-based firm.

The director and other top officials of a company are usually made parties in cheque bounce cases, and, in most of them, the court summons all those named by the complainant.

Girl jumps off CBSE building

New Delhi (PTI): A teenager allegedly jumped off the CBSE building in east Delhi on Thursday following her repeated failure in the board exams.

Khushboo, an 18-year-old resident of Mayapuri in north-west Delhi, leaped off the ninth floor of the high-rise in Preet Vihar around 1 pm and died on the spot, police said.

She left a suicide note, saying she was killing herself because of her repeated failure in Class X examinations. She also blamed the system of examination as anomalous and said the duration of paper was not enough.

Oldest Indian

Jaipur (PTI): Habib Miyan, believed to be the oldest living man in the country, has been hospitalised after suffering a hip joint fracture.

Miyan, blind since he was 60, celebrated his 137th birthday in May. His great-great-grandson said his condition was stable.

Lewd SMS

Panaji (PTI): Two youths have been arrested for allegedly sending lewd text messages to a minor girl in the port town of Vasco. Dilip Tiwari and Tausif Jamadar were arrested on Wednesday evening following a complaint filed by the girl’s father, police said.

Polio chase

Bijnore (PTI): A health department team that went to administer polio drops to children in the Sherkot area of Uttar Pradesh was chased away. A Muslim villager got angry when the team visited his house. He said it was a move against his religion.

State-run airliner Indian has announced the relaunch of its services to Khajuraho and Varanasi with 1,000 seats a week. The flight would connect Delhi and Varanasi through Khajuraho.