In the rarest of rare instance, the High Court of Karnataka has set aside an amicably settled cheque dishonour case before the Lok Adalat and restored the criminal proceeding against the convicted person, who used Lok Adalat platform to overcome his conviction through the settlement, has not only failed to pay ₹29 lakh to the complainant but been “absconding” from past six years.
It is a case in which “an accused who is convicted for an offence is moving free and the victim/complainant who holds a decree is struggling to get his money arising out of such compromise,” the court observed.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while partly allowing a petition filed by 80-year-old Hemachandra M. Kuppalli.
