Mumbai, February 27, 2024 – Sachin Vinayak Kalzunkar, a 48-year-old businessman, has been granted bail and ordered to pay interim compensation in a cheque dishonor case. Additional Sessions Judge S.P. Pingle (Court Room No. 88) issued the order on February 23, 2024.

Kalzunkar was convicted by the Metropolitan Magistrate 7th Court, Dadar, Mumbai, in C.C.No. 607/SS/2015, and subsequently filed a Criminal Appeal (No. 105 of 2024). He then filed Criminal Bail Application No. 425 of 2024, seeking suspension of the Magistrate’s judgment dated January 18, 2024.

Background and Arguments:

Kalzunkar, who was present in court, sought the suspension of the lower court’s judgment. Advocate K.M. Kadam appeared on his behalf. No one appeared for the respondents.

Court’s Decision and Conditions:

Judge Pingle, after hearing the arguments, granted bail to Kalzunkar on a personal bond (PB) and surety bond (SB) of Rs. 1,00,000.

In addition to the bail, the court ordered Kalzunkar to deposit 20% of the cheque amount as interim compensation within 60 days from the date of the order.

The payment of this interim compensation was made a condition precedent for the suspension of the sentence. The court explicitly stated that if the amount was not deposited within the stipulated time, the suspension of the sentence would be automatically revoked without further reference to the court.

Order Details:

The order was dictated and pronounced in open court on February 23, 2024, transcribed on February 26, 2024, and signed on February 27, 2024. The certified copy was uploaded on February 27, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

This decision highlights the court’s approach to balancing the appellant’s right to appeal with the need to ensure some form of restitution to the complainant. The imposition of interim compensation as a condition for bail and suspension of sentence is a measure to provide immediate relief to the aggrieved party while the appeal is pending.