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Telangana High Court
M/S. Sai Balaji Rice Industries vs The State Of Telangana on 13 April, 2026
IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA
AT HYDERABAD
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J.SREENIVAS RAO
CRIMINAL PETITION Nos.5493 and 5498 of 2026
Date: 13.04.2026
Crl.P.Nos.5493 and 5498 of 2026
Between:
M/s. Sai Balaji Rice Industries and another
...Petitioners
AND
The State of Telangana,
Represented by Public Prosecutor,
High Court at Hyderabad and another
...Respondents.
COMMON ORDER
These Criminal Petitions are filed by the petitioners/appellants/
accused, questioning the orders dated 17.03.2026, passed by the learned
V Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bodhan, in Crl.M.P.Nos.58
and 59 of 2026 in Crl.A.Nos.19 and 20 of 2026 in C.C.Nos.886 and 887
of 2018, on the ground that the Sessions Judge imposed an onerous
condition.
2. Heard Mr. T. Srujan Kumar Reddy, learned counsel for the
petitioners and Mr.Jithender Rao Veeramalla, learned Additional Public
Prosecutor for respondent No.1.
3. With the consent of both the learned counsel, the criminal
petitions are disposed of at the admission stage.
4. Notice in respect of respondent No.2 is dispensed with, on the
ground that the petitioners have filed the present criminal petitions only
challenging the imposition of the condition to deposit 20% of the
compensation amount, and no relief is sought against respondent No.2.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the learned trial
Court sentenced the petitioners to undergo simple imprisonment for a
period of one year and to pay fine of Rs.23,32,057/-, within three
months from the date of judgment, in default of which, to undergo
simple imprisonment for a period of six months, for the offence under
Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (for short 'NI
Act'). Aggrieved thereby, the petitioners preferred an appeal before the
learned Sessions Judge, who, while suspending the sentence imposed by
the trial Court, imposed a condition directing the petitioners to deposit
20% of the compensation amount under Section 148 of the NI Act.
6. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that, in similar
circumstances, this Court by placing reliance upon the principle laid
down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Sanjabij Tari v. Kishore
S. Borcar 1, has reduced the compensation amount from 20% to 10%.
7. Taking into consideration the submissions made by the respective
parties and the principle laid down by Hon'ble Supreme Court in
Sanjabij Tari (supra), the impugned orders dated 17.03.2026 passed by
the learned V Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bodhan, in
Crl.M.P.Nos.58 and 59 of 2026 in Crl.A.Nos.19 and 20 of 2026 in
C.C.Nos.886 and 887 of 2018 are modified, directing the petitioners to
deposit 10% of the compensation amount within a period of six (06)
weeks from today. In default of depositing the said amount within the
stipulated period, the learned Sessions Judge is entitled to proceed with
the matters in accordance with law.
8. Accordingly, the criminal petitions are disposed of.
Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall stand
closed.
____________________________
JUSTICE J. SREENIVAS RAO
Date: 13.04.2026
Note: Issue C.C. in a week
B/o
gnp
2025 SCC OnLine SC 2069
