IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA, CHANDIGARH Criminal Miscellaneous No. M-27404 of 2008 Date of Decision: October 22, 2008 Ram Gopal Puri .....PETITIONER(S) VERSUS Punjab Alkalies & Chemicals Limited, Chandigarh .....RESPONDENT(S) . . . CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AJAI LAMBA PRESENT: - Mr. Jainainder Saini, Advocate, for the petitioner. . . . AJAI LAMBA, J (Oral) This petition has been filed under Section 438 Cr.P.C. for grant of anticipatory bail in complaint case No.86/2 dated 25.11.1997 (Annexure P- 1) titled ‘Punjab Alkalies & Chemicals Limited Vs. M/s Mukerian Papers Limtied & Others’ under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 read with Section 420 IPC pending in the Court of Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Ludhiana. On consideration of the facts, I find that a complaint was made for commission of offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 in the year 1997. After making all efforts to serve the petitioner who was a Director of the offending company at the relevant time, the Crl. Misc. No. M-27404 of 2008 [2] petitioner was declared as Proclaimed Offender on 27.7.2008. Contention of the petitioner that he had been living in Panchkula since 1993, per-se is not acceptable in view of the fact that the company admittedly had been served. It is not conceivable that the Director of the company had no knowledge of the pendency of the proceedings when the company had been served, particularly when it is the admitted position that the petitioner was an officer of the company. I have gone through the order passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, dated 30.9.2008 and find it perfectly legal. Considering the age of the petitioner at this point in time, the petitioner is directed to surrender before the Trial Court within seven days from today. The petitioner may move his application for regular bail same day and the Trial Court is directed to dispose of the application within three working days thereof. The petition is disposed of in view of the above terms. (AJAI LAMBA) October 22, 2008 JUDGE avin