NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS ACT

COMMON REPEATED QUESTIONS – ALL STATES (HOTLIST)

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🔴 CATEGORY–A: MUST-ASK (Appears almost every year)

1️⃣ Essential ingredients of offence under Section 138 NI Act

📌 Asked in every state
Exam focus: Mandatory nature of each ingredient
Key case: Kusum Ingots v. Pennar Peterson (2000)

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2️⃣ Presumption under Sections 118 & 139 – scope and rebuttal

📌 Repeated across states
Exam focus:
✔️ Presumption includes existence of debt
✔️ Standard of proof for rebuttal
Key cases:

• Rangappa v. Mohan (2010)

• Basalingappa v. Mudibasappa (2019)

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3️⃣ Whether “stop payment” attracts Section 138

📌 Very frequently asked
Key cases:

• Modi Cements v. Kuchil Kumar Nandi (1998)

• Laxmi Dyechem v. State of Gujarat (2012)

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4️⃣ Whether cheque issued as security attracts Section 138

📌 Favourite problem-based question
Key case:

• Sampelly Satyanarayana Rao v. Indian Renewable Energy Dev. Agency (2016)

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5️⃣ Vicarious liability of directors under Section 141

📌 Appears every alternate year
Exam focus: Mandatory averments
Key cases:

• SMS Pharmaceuticals v. Neeta Bhalla (2005)

• Aneeta Hada v. Godfather Travels (2012)

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🟠 CATEGORY–B: PROCEDURAL HOTSPOTS (Very High Frequency)

6️⃣ Effect of non-impleadment of company in Section 138 complaint

Key case:

• Aneeta Hada (2012)

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7️⃣ Service of statutory notice – unclaimed / refused

📌 Almost guaranteed short question
Key case:

• C.C. Alavi Haji v. Palapetty Muhammed (2007)

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8️⃣ Limitation and multiple dishonours of cheque

📌 Common case study
Key case:

• MSR Leathers v. S. Palaniappan (2013)

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9️⃣ Territorial jurisdiction under NI Act (pre & post 2015 amendment)

📌 Extremely common
Key cases:

• Dashrath Rupsingh Rathod (2014)

• NI (Amendment) Act, 2015

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🔟 Compounding of offence under Section 147

📌 Regular short note
Key case:

• Damodar S. Prabhu v. Sayed Babalal (2010)

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🟡 CATEGORY–C: RECENT & TRENDING QUESTIONS

1️⃣1️⃣ Interim compensation under Section 143A

📌 Asked after 2018 amendment
Key case:

• G.J. Raja v. Tejraj Surana (2019)

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1️⃣2️⃣ Deposit of compensation in appeal – Section 148

📌 High probability
Key case:

• Surinder Singh Deswal v. Virender Gandhi (2019)

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1️⃣3️⃣ Proceedings under Section 138 during IBC moratorium

📌 Frequently asked post-IBC
Key case:

• P. Mohanraj v. Shah Brothers (2021)

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1️⃣4️⃣ Affidavit evidence under Section 145

📌 Procedural favourite
Key case:

• Indian Bank Association v. Union of India (2014)

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🟢 CATEGORY–D: CONCEPTUAL TRICK QUESTIONS

1️⃣5️⃣ Whether cheque for time-barred debt attracts Section 138

📌 Tricky but repeated
Key case:

• A.V. Murthy v. B.S. Nagabasavanna (2002)

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1️⃣6️⃣ Whether proceedings abate on death of accused

📌 Short note question
Key case:

• H.P. Housing Board v. Varinder Kumar Garg

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1️⃣7️⃣ Nature of offence under Section 138 – civil or criminal

📌 Conceptual question
Answer: Quasi-criminal

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1️⃣8️⃣ Power of attorney holder filing complaint

📌 Procedural
Key case:

• A.C. Narayanan v. State of Maharashtra (2014)

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🧠 EXAMINER’S SECRET (VERY IMPORTANT)

If you prepare ONLY THESE 18 QUESTIONS, you will cover 90% of NI Act mains questions across all states.

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🏆 HOW TO SCORE MAXIMUM MARKS

✔️ Start answer with section + object
✔️ Quote 1–2 Supreme Court judgments
✔️ End with a clear conclusio